diff --git a/bin/sh/Makefile b/bin/sh/Makefile
index 98c0caaf671e..5b2a66129c7a 100644
--- a/bin/sh/Makefile
+++ b/bin/sh/Makefile
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ WFORMAT=0
 	${.CURDIR:H}/test \
 	${SRCTOP}/usr.bin/printf
 
-CLEANFILES+= mknodes mknodes.o \
-	mksyntax mksyntax.o
+CLEANFILES+= mknodes mksyntax
 CLEANFILES+= ${GENSRCS} ${GENHDRS}
 
 build-tools: mknodes mksyntax
@@ -43,13 +42,7 @@ builtins.h: .NOMETA
 builtins.c builtins.h: mkbuiltins builtins.def
 	sh ${.CURDIR}/mkbuiltins ${.CURDIR}
 
-# 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.
-mknodes.o mksyntax.o: ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
-	${CC} ${CFLAGS} ${LDFLAGS} ${.IMPSRC} ${LDLIBS} -o ${.TARGET}
-mknodes: mknodes.o ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
-mksyntax: mksyntax.o ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
+mknodes mksyntax: ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 
 .ORDER: nodes.c nodes.h
 nodes.h: .NOMETA