diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index deae1f43d939..144d58dc4abc 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -135,6 +135,9 @@ TGTS=	all all-man buildenv buildenvvars buildkernel buildworld \
 	packages installconfig real-packages sign-packages package-pkg \
 	print-dir test-system-compiler
 
+# These targets require a TARGET and TARGET_ARCH be defined.
+XTGTS=	native-xtools xdev xdev-build xdev-install xdev-links
+
 # XXX: r156740: This can't work since bsd.subdir.mk is not included ever.
 # It will only work for SUBDIR_TARGETS in make.conf.
 TGTS+=	${SUBDIR_TARGETS}
@@ -270,6 +273,11 @@ _TARGET=	${XDEV}
 .if defined(XDEV_ARCH)
 _TARGET_ARCH=	${XDEV_ARCH}
 .endif
+# Some targets require a set TARGET/TARGET_ARCH, check before the default
+# MACHINE and after the compatibility handling.
+.if !defined(_TARGET) || !defined(_TARGET_ARCH)
+${XTGTS}: _assert_target
+.endif
 # Otherwise, default to current machine type and architecture.
 _TARGET?=	${MACHINE}
 _TARGET_ARCH?=	${MACHINE_ARCH}
@@ -278,6 +286,14 @@ _TARGET_ARCH?=	${MACHINE_ARCH}
 .SILENT:
 .endif
 
+_assert_target: .PHONY .MAKE
+.for _tgt in ${XTGTS}
+.if make(${_tgt})
+	@echo "*** Error: Both TARGET and TARGET_ARCH must be defined for \"${_tgt}\" target"
+	@false
+.endif
+.endfor
+
 #
 # Make sure we have an up-to-date make(1). Only world and buildworld
 # should do this as those are the initial targets used for upgrades.
diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
index 36640b29f4b3..39be60e388a4 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -2760,8 +2760,6 @@ cleanworld: .PHONY
 	${_+_}@cd ${.CURDIR}; ${MAKE} cleandir
 .endif
 
-.if defined(TARGET) && defined(TARGET_ARCH)
-
 .if ${TARGET} == ${MACHINE} && ${TARGET_ARCH} == ${MACHINE_ARCH}
 XDEV_CPUTYPE?=${CPUTYPE}
 .else
@@ -2908,7 +2906,3 @@ xdev-links: .PHONY
 			ln -sf ../../${XDTP}/usr/bin/$$i \
 			    ../../../../usr/bin/${XDDIR}${_REVISION}-$$i; \
 		done
-.else
-xdev xdev-build xdev-install xdev-links: .PHONY
-	@echo "*** Error: Both TARGET and TARGET_ARCH must be defined for \"${.TARGET}\" target"
-.endif