diff --git a/boot/at91bootstrap/at91bootstrap.mk b/boot/at91bootstrap/at91bootstrap.mk
index 802e85e6e4..f6550588d3 100644
--- a/boot/at91bootstrap/at91bootstrap.mk
+++ b/boot/at91bootstrap/at91bootstrap.mk
@@ -40,11 +40,8 @@ endef
 
 $(eval $(generic-package))
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP),y)
-# we NEED a board name unless we're at make source
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP)$(BR_BUILDING),yy)
 ifeq ($(AT91BOOTSTRAP_BOARD),)
 $(error No AT91Bootstrap board name set. Check your BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP_BOARD setting)
 endif
 endif
-endif
diff --git a/boot/at91bootstrap3/at91bootstrap3.mk b/boot/at91bootstrap3/at91bootstrap3.mk
index 3e3b78ef23..ff49e14605 100644
--- a/boot/at91bootstrap3/at91bootstrap3.mk
+++ b/boot/at91bootstrap3/at91bootstrap3.mk
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ AT91BOOTSTRAP3_KCONFIG_OPTS = $(AT91BOOTSTRAP3_MAKE_OPTS)
 $(eval $(kconfig-package))
 
 # Checks to give errors that the user can understand
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING),y)
 ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP3_USE_DEFCONFIG),y)
 ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP3_DEFCONFIG)),)
 $(error No at91bootstrap3 defconfig name specified, check your BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP3_DEFCONFIG setting)
diff --git a/boot/barebox/barebox.mk b/boot/barebox/barebox.mk
index 98cb04ea05..54f52bb2a4 100644
--- a/boot/barebox/barebox.mk
+++ b/boot/barebox/barebox.mk
@@ -106,11 +106,8 @@ endif
 
 $(eval $(kconfig-package))
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_BAREBOX),y)
-# we NEED a board defconfig file unless we're at make source
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_BAREBOX)$(BR_BUILDING),yy)
 ifeq ($(BAREBOX_SOURCE_CONFIG),)
 $(error No Barebox config file. Check your BR2_TARGET_BAREBOX_BOARD_DEFCONFIG or BR2_TARGET_BAREBOX_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE settings)
 endif
 endif
-endif
diff --git a/boot/uboot/uboot.mk b/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
index 1526177b39..01aaf2cb0a 100644
--- a/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
+++ b/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
@@ -164,8 +164,7 @@ define UBOOT_INSTALL_OMAP_IFT_IMAGE
 endef
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_OMAP_IFT),y)
-# we NEED a config file unless we're at make source
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING),y)
 ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_OMAP_IFT_CONFIG)),)
 $(error No gpsign config file. Check your BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_OMAP_IFT_CONFIG setting)
 endif
@@ -179,8 +178,7 @@ UBOOT_POST_INSTALL_IMAGES_HOOKS += UBOOT_INSTALL_OMAP_IFT_IMAGE
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE),y)
-# we NEED a environment settings unless we're at make source
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING),y)
 ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE_SOURCE)),)
 $(error Please define a source file for Uboot environment (BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE_SOURCE setting))
 endif
@@ -193,9 +191,7 @@ endif
 
 $(eval $(generic-package))
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT),y)
-# we NEED a board name unless we're at make source
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT)$(BR_BUILDING),yy)
 ifeq ($(UBOOT_BOARD_NAME),)
 $(error No U-Boot board name set. Check your BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_BOARDNAME setting)
 endif
@@ -221,5 +217,4 @@ $(error No custom U-Boot repository URL specified. Check your BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_C
 endif # qstrip BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_CUSTOM_CUSTOM_REPO_VERSION
 endif # BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_CUSTOM_GIT || BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_CUSTOM_HG
 
-endif # filter source
-endif # BR2_TARGET_UBOOT
+endif # BR2_TARGET_UBOOT && BR_BUILDING
diff --git a/boot/xloader/xloader.mk b/boot/xloader/xloader.mk
index 90d5fa2fcf..c68dc81a52 100644
--- a/boot/xloader/xloader.mk
+++ b/boot/xloader/xloader.mk
@@ -25,12 +25,8 @@ endef
 
 $(eval $(generic-package))
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_XLOADER),y)
-# we NEED a board name unless we're at make source
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_XLOADER)$(BR_BUILDING),yy)
 ifeq ($(XLOADER_BOARD_NAME),)
 $(error NO x-loader board name set. Check your BR2_BOOT_XLOADER_BOARDNAME setting)
 endif
 endif
-
-endif
diff --git a/linux/linux.mk b/linux/linux.mk
index deed073e5d..0c348dae90 100644
--- a/linux/linux.mk
+++ b/linux/linux.mk
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ $(LINUX_DIR)/.stamp_initramfs_rebuilt: $(LINUX_DIR)/.stamp_target_installed $(LI
 linux-rebuild-with-initramfs: $(LINUX_DIR)/.stamp_initramfs_rebuilt
 
 # Checks to give errors that the user can understand
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING),y)
 ifeq ($(BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_USE_DEFCONFIG),y)
 ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG)),)
 $(error No kernel defconfig name specified, check your BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG setting)
diff --git a/package/sunxi-boards/sunxi-boards.mk b/package/sunxi-boards/sunxi-boards.mk
index 1a2bb4c78c..cacf8247b7 100644
--- a/package/sunxi-boards/sunxi-boards.mk
+++ b/package/sunxi-boards/sunxi-boards.mk
@@ -16,13 +16,11 @@ define SUNXI_BOARDS_INSTALL_IMAGES_CMDS
 		$(BINARIES_DIR)/script.bin
 endef
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_SUNXI_BOARDS),y)
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_SUNXI_BOARDS)$(BR_BUILDING),yy)
 # we NEED a board name
-ifeq ($(filter source,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
 ifeq ($(SUNXI_BOARDS_FEX_FILE),)
 $(error No sunxi .fex file specified. Check your BR2_PACKAGE_SUNXI_BOARDS_FEX_FILE settings)
 endif
 endif
-endif
 
 $(eval $(generic-package))