diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 3ac698b96f..79c294fd15 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # 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 ac12e91e49..a3b9cd2099 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
@@ -284,3 +284,4 @@ 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 7de5fb36ed..407fdf5a8f 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # 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 univalue