diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e837b5257c..d41a856fc2 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
 
 # Pattern rule to print variables, e.g. make print-top_srcdir
-print-%:
+print-%: FORCE
 	@echo '$*'='$($*)'
 
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I build-aux/m4
diff --git a/depends/Makefile b/depends/Makefile
index 6de85d9534..d51dc7e7ab 100644
--- a/depends/Makefile
+++ b/depends/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .NOTPARALLEL :
 
 # Pattern rule to print variables, e.g. make print-top_srcdir
-print-%:
+print-%: FORCE
 	@echo '$*'='$($*)'
 
 # When invoking a sub-make, keep only the command line variable definitions
@@ -270,3 +270,4 @@ download: download-osx download-linux download-win
 $(foreach package,$(all_packages),$(eval $(call ext_add_stages,$(package))))
 
 .PHONY: install cached clean clean-all download-one download-osx download-linux download-win download check-packages check-sources
+.PHONY: FORCE
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 02eedbbe1f..f3d83a5908 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
 
 # Pattern rule to print variables, e.g. make print-top_srcdir
-print-%:
+print-%: FORCE
 	@echo '$*'='$($*)'
 
 DIST_SUBDIRS = secp256k1