diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7084c5c1d..3a49a6971 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -359,8 +359,10 @@ scripts_basic:
 scripts/basic/%: scripts_basic ;
 
 # bbox: we have helpers in applets/
+# we depend on scripts_basic, since scripts/basic/fixdep
+# must be built before any other host prog
 PHONY += applets_dir
-applets_dir:
+applets_dir: scripts_basic
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=applets
 
 applets/%: applets_dir ;
diff --git a/applets/Kbuild b/applets/Kbuild
index 88e98167a..a6b0cf6fb 100644
--- a/applets/Kbuild
+++ b/applets/Kbuild
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@ hostprogs-y += usage usage_pod applet_tables
 
 always:= $(hostprogs-y)
 
-# fixdep is needed to compile other host programs
-$(addprefix $(obj)/,$(always)): $(objtree)/scripts/basic/fixdep
-
 # Generated files need additional love
 
 # This trick decreases amount of rebuilds