diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 62311ede36..c95bb1e921 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -429,14 +429,9 @@ endif
 
 $(BUILD_DIR)/.root:
 	mkdir -p $(TARGET_DIR)
-	if ! [ -d "$(TARGET_DIR)/bin" ]; then \
-		if [ -d "$(TARGET_SKELETON)" ]; then \
-			rsync -au $(TARGET_SKELETON)/ $(TARGET_DIR)/; \
-		fi; \
-	fi
+	rsync -au --exclude=.empty --exclude=CVS --exclude=.svn --exclude='*~' \
+		$(TARGET_SKELETON)/ $(TARGET_DIR)/
 	cp support/misc/target-dir-warning.txt $(TARGET_DIR_WARNING_FILE)
-	-find $(TARGET_DIR) -type d -name CVS -print0 -o -name .svn -print0 | xargs -0 rm -rf
-	-find $(TARGET_DIR) -type f \( -name .empty -o -name '*~' \) -print0 | xargs -0 rm -rf
 	touch $@
 
 $(TARGET_DIR): $(BUILD_DIR)/.root