diff --git a/.ci/Jenkinsfile b/.ci/Jenkinsfile
index a927bf3189..456153f915 100644
--- a/.ci/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/.ci/Jenkinsfile
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def generateTestCheckSinglePackageStage(Map args = [:]) {
              dir("${BASE_DIR}"){
                withMageEnv(){
                  withCloudTestEnv() {
-                   sh(label: 'Build elastic-package',script: "make build")
+                   sh(label: 'Install elastic-package',script: "make install")
                    sh(label: 'Build elastic-package',script: "make PACKAGE_UNDER_TEST=${it} test-check-packages-parallel")
                  }
                }
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ def generateTestCommandStage(Map args = [:]){
           withMageEnv(){
             withKubernetes() {
               withCloudTestEnv() {
-                sh(label: 'Check',script: "make build ${command} check-git-clean")
+                sh(label: 'Check',script: "make install ${command} check-git-clean")
               }
             }
           }
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 55cc4bd1aa..10341a52c0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 CODE_COVERAGE_REPORT_FOLDER = $(PWD)/build/test-coverage
 CODE_COVERAGE_REPORT_NAME_UNIT = $(CODE_COVERAGE_REPORT_FOLDER)/coverage-unit-report
 VERSION_IMPORT_PATH = github.com/elastic/elastic-package/internal/version
+VERSION_COMMIT_HASH = `git describe --always --long --dirty`
+VERSION_BUILD_TIME = `date +%s`
+VERSION_TAG = `(git describe --exact-match --tags 2>/dev/null || echo '') | tr -d '\n'`
+VERSION_LDFLAGS = -X $(VERSION_IMPORT_PATH).CommitHash=$(VERSION_COMMIT_HASH) -X $(VERSION_IMPORT_PATH).BuildTime=$(VERSION_BUILD_TIME) -X $(VERSION_IMPORT_PATH).Tag=$(VERSION_TAG)
 
 .PHONY: build
 
 build:
-	go install -ldflags \
-	    "-X $(VERSION_IMPORT_PATH).CommitHash=`git describe --always --long --dirty` -X $(VERSION_IMPORT_PATH).BuildTime=`date +%s` -X $(VERSION_IMPORT_PATH).Tag=`(git describe --exact-match --tags 2>/dev/null || echo '') | tr -d '\n'`" \
-	    github.com/elastic/elastic-package
+	go build -ldflags "$(VERSION_LDFLAGS)" -o elastic-package
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf build
@@ -15,6 +17,9 @@ clean:
 format:
 	go run golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports -local github.com/elastic/elastic-package/ -w .
 
+install:
+	go install -ldflags "$(VERSION_LDFLAGS)" github.com/elastic/elastic-package
+
 lint:
 	go run honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck ./...
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4080873def..7bc4f62408 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -265,6 +265,8 @@ source code:
 
 `make format` - format the Go code
 
+`make install` - build the tool source and move binary to `$GOBIN`
+
 `make vendor` - vendor code of dependencies
 
 `make check` - one-liner, used by CI to verify if source code is ready to be pushed to the repository
@@ -297,4 +299,4 @@ git push upstream v0.15.0
 ```
 
 The CI will run a new job for the just pushed tag and publish released artifacts. Please expect an automated follow-up PR
-in the [Integrations](https://github.com/elastic/integrations) repository to bump up the version ([sample PR](https://github.com/elastic/integrations/pull/1516)).
\ No newline at end of file
+in the [Integrations](https://github.com/elastic/integrations) repository to bump up the version ([sample PR](https://github.com/elastic/integrations/pull/1516)).
diff --git a/tools/readme/readme.md.tmpl b/tools/readme/readme.md.tmpl
index 72a6109933..d6ef21cff1 100644
--- a/tools/readme/readme.md.tmpl
+++ b/tools/readme/readme.md.tmpl
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ source code:
 
 `make format` - format the Go code
 
+`make install` - build the tool source and move binary to `$GOBIN`
+
 `make vendor` - vendor code of dependencies
 
 `make check` - one-liner, used by CI to verify if source code is ready to be pushed to the repository
@@ -131,4 +133,4 @@ git push upstream v0.15.0
 ```
 
 The CI will run a new job for the just pushed tag and publish released artifacts. Please expect an automated follow-up PR
-in the [Integrations](https://github.com/elastic/integrations) repository to bump up the version ([sample PR](https://github.com/elastic/integrations/pull/1516)).
\ No newline at end of file
+in the [Integrations](https://github.com/elastic/integrations) repository to bump up the version ([sample PR](https://github.com/elastic/integrations/pull/1516)).