diff --git a/Makefile.objs b/Makefile.objs
index ef65a6c12ef0..acc53aa0f00b 100644
--- a/Makefile.objs
+++ b/Makefile.objs
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ version-obj-$(CONFIG_WIN32) += $(BUILD_DIR)/version.o
 ######################################################################
 # tracing
 util-obj-y +=  trace/
-target-obj-y += trace/
 
 ######################################################################
 # guest agent
diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index 40830c564656..a4585061399d 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ all: $(PROGS) stap
 # Dummy command so that make thinks it has done something
 	@true
 
+obj-y += trace/
+
 #########################################################
 # cpu emulator library
 obj-y += exec.o
@@ -173,13 +175,10 @@ endif # CONFIG_SOFTMMU
 dummy := $(call unnest-vars,,obj-y)
 all-obj-y := $(obj-y)
 
-target-obj-y :=
 block-obj-y :=
 common-obj-y :=
 chardev-obj-y :=
 include $(SRC_PATH)/Makefile.objs
-dummy := $(call unnest-vars,,target-obj-y)
-target-obj-y-save := $(target-obj-y)
 dummy := $(call unnest-vars,.., \
                authz-obj-y \
                block-obj-y \
@@ -191,9 +190,7 @@ dummy := $(call unnest-vars,.., \
                io-obj-y \
                common-obj-y \
                common-obj-m)
-target-obj-y := $(target-obj-y-save)
 all-obj-y += $(common-obj-y)
-all-obj-y += $(target-obj-y)
 all-obj-y += $(qom-obj-y)
 all-obj-$(CONFIG_SOFTMMU) += $(authz-obj-y)
 all-obj-$(CONFIG_SOFTMMU) += $(block-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y)
diff --git a/trace/Makefile.objs b/trace/Makefile.objs
index afd571c3ecc4..c544509adf88 100644
--- a/trace/Makefile.objs
+++ b/trace/Makefile.objs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ $(obj)/generated-helpers.c-timestamp: $(SRC_PATH)/trace-events $(BUILD_DIR)/conf
 
 $(obj)/generated-helpers.o: $(obj)/generated-helpers.c
 
-target-obj-y += generated-helpers.o
+obj-y += generated-helpers.o
 
 
 $(obj)/generated-tcg-tracers.h: $(obj)/generated-tcg-tracers.h-timestamp
@@ -55,5 +55,5 @@ $(obj)/generated-tcg-tracers.h-timestamp: $(SRC_PATH)/trace-events $(BUILD_DIR)/
 util-obj-$(CONFIG_TRACE_SIMPLE) += simple.o
 util-obj-$(CONFIG_TRACE_FTRACE) += ftrace.o
 util-obj-y += control.o
-target-obj-y += control-target.o
+obj-y += control-target.o
 util-obj-y += qmp.o