diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f81bcead0..7084c5c1d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -358,6 +358,13 @@ scripts_basic:
 # To avoid any implicit rule to kick in, define an empty command.
 scripts/basic/%: scripts_basic ;
 
+# bbox: we have helpers in applets/
+PHONY += applets_dir
+applets_dir:
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=applets
+
+applets/%: applets_dir ;
+
 PHONY += outputmakefile
 # outputmakefile generates a Makefile in the output directory, if using a
 # separate output directory. This allows convenient use of make in the
@@ -797,7 +804,7 @@ ifneq ($(KBUILD_MODULES),)
 	$(Q)rm -f $(MODVERDIR)/*
 endif
 
-archprepare: prepare1 scripts_basic
+archprepare: prepare1 scripts_basic applets_dir
 
 prepare0: archprepare FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=.
diff --git a/applets/Kbuild b/applets/Kbuild
index a6b0cf6fb..88e98167a 100644
--- a/applets/Kbuild
+++ b/applets/Kbuild
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ 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