diff --git a/arch/arc/boot/dts/Makefile b/arch/arc/boot/dts/Makefile
index 22a4c5d4702f..a83c4f5e928b 100644
--- a/arch/arc/boot/dts/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arc/boot/dts/Makefile
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ endif
 obj-y   += $(builtindtb-y).dtb.o
 dtb-y := $(builtindtb-y).dtb
 
-.SECONDARY: $(obj)/$(builtindtb-y).dtb.S
-
 # for CONFIG_OF_ALL_DTBS test
 dtstree	:= $(srctree)/$(src)
 dtb-	:= $(patsubst $(dtstree)/%.dts,%.dtb, $(wildcard $(dtstree)/*.dts))
diff --git a/arch/arm/crypto/Makefile b/arch/arm/crypto/Makefile
index 3304e671918d..8de542c48ade 100644
--- a/arch/arm/crypto/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/crypto/Makefile
@@ -67,4 +67,4 @@ $(src)/sha512-core.S_shipped: $(src)/sha512-armv4.pl
 	$(call cmd,perl)
 endif
 
-.PRECIOUS: $(obj)/sha256-core.S $(obj)/sha512-core.S
+targets += sha256-core.S sha512-core.S
diff --git a/arch/arm64/crypto/Makefile b/arch/arm64/crypto/Makefile
index 8df9f326f449..f35ac684b1c0 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/crypto/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm64/crypto/Makefile
@@ -78,4 +78,4 @@ $(src)/sha512-core.S_shipped: $(src)/sha512-armv8.pl
 	$(call cmd,perlasm)
 endif
 
-.PRECIOUS: $(obj)/sha256-core.S $(obj)/sha512-core.S
+targets += sha256-core.S sha512-core.S
diff --git a/arch/sparc/vdso/Makefile b/arch/sparc/vdso/Makefile
index a6615d8864f7..dd0b5a92ffd0 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/vdso/Makefile
+++ b/arch/sparc/vdso/Makefile
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ vdso_img_cfiles := $(vdso_img-y:%=vdso-image-%.c)
 vdso_img_sodbg := $(vdso_img-y:%=vdso%.so.dbg)
 obj-y += $(vdso_img_objs)
 targets += $(vdso_img_cfiles)
-targets += $(vdso_img_sodbg)
-.SECONDARY: $(vdso_img-y:%=$(obj)/vdso-image-%.c) \
-	$(vdso_img-y:%=$(obj)/vdso%.so)
+targets += $(vdso_img_sodbg) $(vdso_img-y:%=vdso%.so)
 
 export CPPFLAGS_vdso.lds += -P -C
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/entry/vdso/Makefile b/arch/x86/entry/vdso/Makefile
index 1943aebadede..d998a487c9b1 100644
--- a/arch/x86/entry/vdso/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/entry/vdso/Makefile
@@ -42,9 +42,7 @@ vdso_img_cfiles := $(vdso_img-y:%=vdso-image-%.c)
 vdso_img_sodbg := $(vdso_img-y:%=vdso%.so.dbg)
 obj-y += $(vdso_img_objs)
 targets += $(vdso_img_cfiles)
-targets += $(vdso_img_sodbg)
-.SECONDARY: $(vdso_img-y:%=$(obj)/vdso-image-%.c) \
-	$(vdso_img-y:%=$(obj)/vdso%.so)
+targets += $(vdso_img_sodbg) $(vdso_img-y:%=vdso%.so)
 
 export CPPFLAGS_vdso.lds += -P -C
 
diff --git a/drivers/of/unittest-data/Makefile b/drivers/of/unittest-data/Makefile
index 87a65ca38583..013d85e694c6 100644
--- a/drivers/of/unittest-data/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/of/unittest-data/Makefile
@@ -30,7 +30,3 @@ DTC_FLAGS_testcases += -@
 
 # suppress warnings about intentional errors
 DTC_FLAGS_testcases += -Wno-interrupts_property
-
-.PRECIOUS: \
-	$(obj)/%.dtb.S \
-	$(obj)/%.dtb
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index 8c3ca611b978..8bdb1dc4072c 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -430,8 +430,6 @@ quiet_cmd_asn1_compiler = ASN.1   $@
       cmd_asn1_compiler = $(objtree)/scripts/asn1_compiler $< \
 				$(subst .h,.c,$@) $(subst .c,.h,$@)
 
-.PRECIOUS: $(objtree)/$(obj)/%.asn1.c $(objtree)/$(obj)/%.asn1.h
-
 $(obj)/%.asn1.c $(obj)/%.asn1.h: $(src)/%.asn1 $(objtree)/scripts/asn1_compiler
 	$(call cmd,asn1_compiler)
 
@@ -544,10 +542,12 @@ targets := $(filter-out $(PHONY), $(targets))
 intermediate_targets = $(foreach sfx, $(2), \
 				$(patsubst %$(strip $(1)),%$(sfx), \
 					$(filter %$(strip $(1)), $(targets))))
+# %.asn1.o <- %.asn1.[ch] <- %.asn1
 # %.dtb.o <- %.dtb.S <- %.dtb <- %.dts
 # %.lex.o <- %.lex.c <- %.l
 # %.tab.o <- %.tab.[ch] <- %.y
-targets += $(call intermediate_targets, .dtb.o, .dtb.S .dtb) \
+targets += $(call intermediate_targets, .asn1.o, .asn1.c .asn1.h) \
+	   $(call intermediate_targets, .dtb.o, .dtb.S .dtb) \
 	   $(call intermediate_targets, .lex.o, .lex.c) \
 	   $(call intermediate_targets, .tab.o, .tab.c .tab.h)
 
@@ -587,6 +587,10 @@ $(shell mkdir -p $(obj-dirs))
 endif
 endif
 
+# Some files contained in $(targets) are intermediate artifacts.
+# We never want them to be removed automatically.
+.SECONDARY: $(targets)
+
 # Declare the contents of the .PHONY variable as phony.  We keep that
 # information in a variable se we can use it in if_changed and friends.
 
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.lib b/scripts/Makefile.lib
index 7f5bca0c3b7b..07d07409f16f 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.lib
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.lib
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ endef
 quiet_cmd_flex = LEX     $@
       cmd_flex = $(LEX) -o$@ -L $<
 
-.PRECIOUS: $(obj)/%.lex.c
 $(obj)/%.lex.c: $(src)/%.l FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,flex)
 
@@ -193,14 +192,12 @@ $(obj)/%.lex.c: $(src)/%.l FORCE
 quiet_cmd_bison = YACC    $@
       cmd_bison = $(YACC) -o$@ -t -l $<
 
-.PRECIOUS: $(obj)/%.tab.c
 $(obj)/%.tab.c: $(src)/%.y FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,bison)
 
 quiet_cmd_bison_h = YACC    $@
       cmd_bison_h = bison -o/dev/null --defines=$@ -t -l $<
 
-.PRECIOUS: $(obj)/%.tab.h
 $(obj)/%.tab.h: $(src)/%.y FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,bison_h)