diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk b/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
index 8c09fc76e7fb..7560e7ffc5b7 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
@@ -59,11 +59,19 @@ all: ${PROGS}
 
 # We cannot capture dependencies for meta mode here
 UPDATE_DEPENDFILE = NO
+
+.if ${MK_STAGING} != "no"
+.if !empty(PROGS)
+stage_files.prog: ${PROGS}
+.endif
+.endif	# ${MK_STAGING} != "no"
 .endif
 .endif	# PROGS || PROGS_CXX
 
 # These are handled by the main make process.
 .ifdef _RECURSING_PROGS
+MK_STAGING= no
+
 _PROGS_GLOBAL_VARS= CLEANFILES CLEANDIRS CONFGROUPS FILESGROUPS INCSGROUPS \
 		    SCRIPTS
 .for v in ${_PROGS_GLOBAL_VARS}
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.test.mk b/share/mk/bsd.test.mk
index 79018a4311a9..104b980d7274 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.test.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.test.mk
@@ -93,30 +93,4 @@ beforecheck realcheck aftercheck check: .PHONY
 .ORDER: beforecheck realcheck aftercheck
 check: beforecheck realcheck aftercheck
 
-.ifdef PROG
-# we came here via bsd.progs.mk below
-# parent will do staging.
-MK_STAGING= no
-.endif
-
-.if !empty(PROGS) || !empty(PROGS_CXX) || !empty(SCRIPTS)
 .include <bsd.progs.mk>
-.endif
-.include <bsd.files.mk>
-
-.if !defined(PROG) && ${MK_STAGING} != "no"
-.if !defined(_SKIP_BUILD)
-# this will handle staging if needed
-_SKIP_STAGING= no
-# but we don't want it to build anything
-_SKIP_BUILD=
-.endif
-.if !empty(PROGS)
-stage_files.prog: ${PROGS}
-.endif
-.include <bsd.prog.mk>
-.endif
-
-.if !target(objwarn)
-.include <bsd.obj.mk>
-.endif