diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1ad6e35f7b0d82d9fcc1913ba6d0ebf702239880..f116e2dd9b83e948abe00b80cd3ea50719211572 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -104,8 +104,11 @@ export PATCH
 export SED
 export NM
 
-# makeopts is required unless the goal is clean or distclean
-ifeq ($(findstring clean,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+# makeopts is required unless the goal is just {dist{-}}clean
+ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),clean)
+else ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),distclean)
+else ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),dist-clean)
+else
 include makeopts
 endif