diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
index 4c60536dc413..7d0238f599a8 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -296,6 +296,10 @@ CROSSENV+=	MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX=${OBJTREE} \
 		MACHINE_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH} \
 		MACHINE=${TARGET} \
 		CPUTYPE=${TARGET_CPUTYPE}
+.if ${MK_META_MODE} != "no"
+# Don't rebuild build-tools targets during normal build.
+CROSSENV+=	BUILD_TOOLS_META=.NOMETA_CMP
+.endif
 .if ${MK_GROFF} != "no"
 CROSSENV+=	GROFF_BIN_PATH=${WORLDTMP}/legacy/usr/bin \
 		GROFF_FONT_PATH=${WORLDTMP}/legacy/usr/share/groff_font \
diff --git a/Makefile.libcompat b/Makefile.libcompat
index 2c15a9bbd3cd..560a50c42573 100644
--- a/Makefile.libcompat
+++ b/Makefile.libcompat
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ LIBCOMPATWMAKEENV+= MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX=${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTREE} \
 		LIBDIR=/usr/lib${libcompat} \
 		SHLIBDIR=/usr/lib${libcompat} \
 		DTRACE="${LIB$COMPATDTRACE:U${DTRACE}}"
+.if ${MK_META_MODE} != "no"
+# Don't rebuild build-tools targets during normal build.
+LIBCOMPATWMAKEENV+=	BUILD_TOOLS_META=.NOMETA_CMP
+.endif
 LIBCOMPATWMAKEFLAGS+= CC="${XCC} ${LIBCOMPATCFLAGS}" \
 		CXX="${XCXX} ${LIBCOMPATCFLAGS} ${LIBCOMPATCXXFLAGS}" \
 		DESTDIR=${LIBCOMPATTMP} \
diff --git a/bin/csh/Makefile b/bin/csh/Makefile
index 2c9ae220db91..f55f24196f30 100644
--- a/bin/csh/Makefile
+++ b/bin/csh/Makefile
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ csh.1: tcsh.man
 
 build-tools: gethost
 
-gethost: gethost.c sh.err.h tc.const.h sh.h
+gethost: gethost.c sh.err.h tc.const.h sh.h ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	@rm -f ${.TARGET}
 	${CC} -o gethost ${LDFLAGS} ${CFLAGS:C/-DHAVE_ICONV//} \
 	    ${TCSHDIR}/gethost.c
diff --git a/bin/sh/Makefile b/bin/sh/Makefile
index 3f28a1231fd3..e6d1d83a887a 100644
--- a/bin/sh/Makefile
+++ b/bin/sh/Makefile
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ builtins.c builtins.h: mkbuiltins builtins.def
 # XXX this is just to stop the default .c rule being used, so that the
 # intermediate object has a fixed name.
 # XXX we have a default .c rule, but no default .o rule.
-.o:
+mknodes.o mksyntax.o: ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	${CC} ${CFLAGS} ${LDFLAGS} ${.IMPSRC} ${LDLIBS} -o ${.TARGET}
-mknodes: mknodes.o
-mksyntax: mksyntax.o
+mknodes: mknodes.o ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
+mksyntax: mksyntax.o ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 
 .ORDER: nodes.c nodes.h
 nodes.c nodes.h: mknodes nodetypes nodes.c.pat
diff --git a/lib/libmagic/Makefile b/lib/libmagic/Makefile
index 2add1d3c27b5..6baacc8ac034 100644
--- a/lib/libmagic/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libmagic/Makefile
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ magic.mgc: mkmagic magic
 
 CLEANFILES+=	mkmagic
 build-tools: mkmagic
-mkmagic: apprentice.c cdf_time.c encoding.c funcs.c magic.c print.c
+mkmagic: apprentice.c cdf_time.c encoding.c funcs.c magic.c print.c ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	${CC} ${CFLAGS} -DCOMPILE_ONLY ${LDFLAGS} -o ${.TARGET} ${.ALLSRC} \
 	    ${LDADD}
 
diff --git a/lib/ncurses/ncurses/Makefile b/lib/ncurses/ncurses/Makefile
index fc55bfedb875..f5405e867aee 100644
--- a/lib/ncurses/ncurses/Makefile
+++ b/lib/ncurses/ncurses/Makefile
@@ -389,10 +389,10 @@ keys.list: MKkeys_list.sh Caps
 # Build tools
 build-tools: make_hash make_keys
 
-make_keys: make_keys.c names.c ncurses_def.h ${HEADERS}
+make_keys: make_keys.c names.c ncurses_def.h ${HEADERS} ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	${CC} -o $@ ${CFLAGS} ${NCURSES_DIR}/ncurses/tinfo/make_keys.c
 
-make_hash: make_hash.c hashsize.h ncurses_def.h ${HEADERS}
+make_hash: make_hash.c hashsize.h ncurses_def.h ${HEADERS} ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	${CC} -o $@ ${CFLAGS} -DMAIN_PROGRAM \
 		${NCURSES_DIR}/ncurses/tinfo/make_hash.c
 
diff --git a/share/syscons/scrnmaps/Makefile b/share/syscons/scrnmaps/Makefile
index 1c5dc88382a1..1e14e5052738 100644
--- a/share/syscons/scrnmaps/Makefile
+++ b/share/syscons/scrnmaps/Makefile
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ ${SCRMAPS}: ${.TARGET:R}.mk
 	uuencode ${.TARGET:R}.tmp ${.TARGET:R} > ${.TARGET}
 	rm -f ${.TARGET:R}.tmp
 
-${SCRMAPS_MK}: ${.TARGET:R} mkscrfil.c
+${SCRMAPS_MK}: ${.TARGET:R} mkscrfil.c ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	${CC} ${CFLAGS} -I${.CURDIR} -DFIL=\"${.TARGET:R}\" ${LDFLAGS} \
 	    -o ${.TARGET} ${.CURDIR}/mkscrfil.c
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/awk/Makefile b/usr.bin/awk/Makefile
index 80ca5dbdb9cd..e2e2758131c1 100644
--- a/usr.bin/awk/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/awk/Makefile
@@ -24,6 +24,6 @@ proctab.c: maketab
 	./maketab > proctab.c
 
 build-tools: maketab
-maketab: ytab.h ${AWKSRC}/maketab.c
+maketab: ytab.h ${AWKSRC}/maketab.c ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/mkcsmapper_static/Makefile b/usr.bin/mkcsmapper_static/Makefile
index 21014e930b63..a416b20645db 100644
--- a/usr.bin/mkcsmapper_static/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/mkcsmapper_static/Makefile
@@ -13,3 +13,5 @@ build-tools: mkcsmapper_static
 
 .include "${.CURDIR}/../mkcsmapper/Makefile.inc"
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
+
+${PROG}: ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
diff --git a/usr.bin/mkesdb_static/Makefile b/usr.bin/mkesdb_static/Makefile
index 2696a23700d5..9ce020920808 100644
--- a/usr.bin/mkesdb_static/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/mkesdb_static/Makefile
@@ -13,3 +13,5 @@ build-tools: mkesdb_static
 
 .include "${.CURDIR}/../mkesdb/Makefile.inc"
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
+
+${PROG}: ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
diff --git a/usr.bin/vi/catalog/Makefile b/usr.bin/vi/catalog/Makefile
index e2ca579ba57c..d2c349a13426 100644
--- a/usr.bin/vi/catalog/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/vi/catalog/Makefile
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ english.base: dump ${SCAN} #Makefile
 	sort -nu > $@
 
 
-dump: dump.c
+dump: dump.c ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	${CC} -o ${.TARGET} ${.ALLSRC}
 
 CLEANFILES+= dump ${CAT} english.base *.check __ck1 __ck2