diff --git a/sys/conf/kern.post.mk b/sys/conf/kern.post.mk
index d4b7acccdfa..bbadb1e8bef 100644
--- a/sys/conf/kern.post.mk
+++ b/sys/conf/kern.post.mk
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ lint: ${LNFILES}
 # in the a.out ld.  For now, this works.
 HACK_EXTRA_FLAGS?= -shared
 hack.So: Makefile
-	touch hack.c
+	:> hack.c
 	${CC} ${HACK_EXTRA_FLAGS} -nostdlib hack.c -o hack.So
 	rm -f hack.c
 
diff --git a/sys/conf/kmod.mk b/sys/conf/kmod.mk
index bba43e0f040..2a49aa650e3 100644
--- a/sys/conf/kmod.mk
+++ b/sys/conf/kmod.mk
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ ${FULLPROG}: ${OBJS}
 .if defined(EXPORT_SYMS)
 .if ${EXPORT_SYMS} != YES
 .if ${EXPORT_SYMS} == NO
-	touch export_syms
+	:> export_syms
 .elif !exists(${.CURDIR}/${EXPORT_SYMS})
 	echo ${EXPORT_SYMS} > export_syms
 .else
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ ${_src}:
 CLEANFILES+=	${_src}
 .if !target(${_src})
 ${_src}:
-	touch ${.TARGET}
+	:> ${.TARGET}
 .endif
 .endfor
 .endif
diff --git a/sys/modules/if_ef/Makefile b/sys/modules/if_ef/Makefile
index 8a83ac0920a..dc40213c718 100644
--- a/sys/modules/if_ef/Makefile
+++ b/sys/modules/if_ef/Makefile
@@ -19,16 +19,16 @@ CFLAGS+= -DEF_DEBUG
 #ETHER_SNAP=
 
 opt_inet.h:
-	echo "#define INET 1" > opt_inet.h
+	echo "#define INET 1" > ${.TARGET}
 
 opt_ipx.h:
-	echo "#define IPX 1" > opt_ipx.h
+	echo "#define IPX 1" > ${.TARGET}
 
 opt_ef.h:
-	touch opt_ef.h
+	:> ${.TARGET}
 .for frame in ETHER_II ETHER_8023 ETHER_8022 ETHER_SNAP
 .if defined(${frame})
-	echo "#define ${frame} 1" >> opt_ef.h
+	echo "#define ${frame} 1" >> ${.TARGET}
 .endif
 .endfor
 .endif
diff --git a/sys/modules/if_ppp/Makefile b/sys/modules/if_ppp/Makefile
index 1be2e0206ce..5ba503905c6 100644
--- a/sys/modules/if_ppp/Makefile
+++ b/sys/modules/if_ppp/Makefile
@@ -22,16 +22,16 @@ SRCS+=	ppp_deflate.c
 .if !defined(KERNBUILDDIR)
 .if ${PPP_INET} > 0
 opt_inet.h:
-	echo "#define INET 1" >> ${.TARGET}
+	echo "#define INET 1" > ${.TARGET}
 .endif
 
 .if ${PPP_IPX} > 0
 opt_ipx.h:
-	echo "#define IPX ${PPP_IPX}" >> ${.TARGET}
+	echo "#define IPX ${PPP_IPX}" > ${.TARGET}
 .endif
 
 opt_ppp.h:
-	touch ${.TARGET}
+	:> ${.TARGET}
 .if ${PPP_BSDCOMP} > 0
 	echo "#define PPP_BSDCOMP ${PPP_BSDCOMP}" >> ${.TARGET}
 .endif
diff --git a/sys/modules/netgraph/mppc/Makefile b/sys/modules/netgraph/mppc/Makefile
index 968e2ac007d..40b3717136f 100644
--- a/sys/modules/netgraph/mppc/Makefile
+++ b/sys/modules/netgraph/mppc/Makefile
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ SRCS+= sha1.c
 
 .if !defined(KERNBUILDDIR)
 opt_netgraph.h:
-	touch ${.TARGET}
+	:> ${.TARGET}
 .if ${NETGRAPH_MPPC_COMPRESSION} > 0
 	echo "#define NETGRAPH_MPPC_COMPRESSION 1" >> ${.TARGET}
 .endif
diff --git a/sys/modules/sound/sound/Makefile b/sys/modules/sound/sound/Makefile
index 5615a0c8ea5..f2e6eae7676 100644
--- a/sys/modules/sound/sound/Makefile
+++ b/sys/modules/sound/sound/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMS=	YES	# XXX evaluate
 # existing one from KERNBUILDDIR which possibly has DEV_ISA defined so
 # sound.ko is always built without isadma support.
 opt_isa.h:
-	touch ${.TARGET}
+	:> ${.TARGET}
 .else
 SRCS+=	sndbuf_dma.c