diff --git a/Makefile.lib b/Makefile.lib
index d994cd1d..af1751c4 100644
--- a/Makefile.lib
+++ b/Makefile.lib
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ CLEAN += $(PROG)
 
 all-default: $(LIB_O) $(PROGS) $(MAN1) $(MAN5)
 
+# Ensure that Makefiles in subdirs are created before we recursive into them
+init-recursive: init-default
+
 init-default:
 	@$(foreach subdir,$(sort $(SUBDIRS)), \
 		$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(subdir) >/dev/null; \
@@ -191,28 +194,24 @@ endif
 
 # Recursion:
 
-.PHONY: all-recursive install-recursive clean-recursive cleanall-recursive init-recursive check-recursive test-recursive
+RULES	 = all install clean cleanall init check test
+RECRULES = $(addsuffix -recursive,$(RULES))
 
-all-recursive install-recursive clean-recursive cleanall-recursive init-recursive check-recursive test-recursive:
+.PHONY: $(RECRULES)
+
+# The -recursive rules decend all subdirs.
+$(RECRULES):
 ifdef SUBDIRS
 	@$(foreach subdir,$(sort $(SUBDIRS)), \
 		$(call ncmd,recmake,$(subdir),$(subst -recursive,,$@)) || exit 1;)
 endif
 
-all: all-recursive all-default all-local
-install: install-recursive install-default install-local
-check: check-recursive check-default check-local
-clean: clean-recursive clean-default clean-local
-test: test-recursive test-default test-local
+# Setup the default sub commands dependency. First decend subdirs then do all
+# the default stuff and finally do any local hooks.
+$(RULES): $$@-recursive $$@-default $$@-local
 
-cleanall: cleanall-recursive cleanall-default
-init: init-default init-recursive
-
-all-local:
-install-local:
-clean-local:
-check-local:
-test-local:
+# Dummy rules for local hooks
+$(addsuffix -local,$(RULES)):
 
 # Tell versions [3.59,3.63) of GNU make to not export all variables.
 # Otherwise a system limit (for SysV at least) may be exceeded.