diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
index cd2d9a6bf7f5..08eaa8999c09 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -1082,10 +1082,9 @@ _cleanobj:
 .if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; ${LIBCOMPATWMAKE} _NO_INCLUDE_COMPILERMK=t -f Makefile.inc1 ${CLEANDIR}
 .endif
-.endif	# !defined(NO_CLEAN)
-	# XXX make cleandir left stale .depend files behind, so invoke the
-	# dependency cleanup hack unconditionally.
+.else
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; ${WMAKE} _NO_INCLUDE_COMPILERMK=t _cleanobj_fast_depend_hack
+.endif	# !defined(NO_CLEAN)
 _obj:
 	@echo
 	@echo "--------------------------------------------------------------"