diff --git a/configure/RULES_DIRS b/configure/RULES_DIRS
index e90006890..92d2035dc 100644
--- a/configure/RULES_DIRS
+++ b/configure/RULES_DIRS
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ $(foreach dir, $(DIRS), \
 
 define DEP_template2
 $(1)$$(DIVIDER)$(2) : $$(foreach ddir, $$($(1)_DEPEND_DIRS), \
-    $$(addsuffix $$(DIVIDER)$(2),$$(ddir)))
+    $$(addsuffix $$(DIVIDER)$(2),$$(ddir))) | before-$(2)
 endef
 $(foreach action, $(ACTIONS), \
     $(foreach dir, $(DIRS), \
@@ -81,14 +81,20 @@ dirPart = $(join $(dir $@), $(word 1, $(subst $(DIVIDER), ,$(notdir $@))))
 actionArchPart = $(join $(word 2, $(subst $(DIVIDER), ,$(notdir $@))), \
    $(addprefix $(DIVIDER),$(word 3, $(subst $(DIVIDER), ,$(notdir $@)))))
 
-$(DIRS) $(dirActionTargets) $(dirArchTargets) $(dirActionArchTargets): pre-make
+$(DIRS) $(dirActionTargets) $(dirArchTargets) $(dirActionArchTargets):
 	$(MAKE) -C $(dirPart) $(actionArchPart)
 
+# before-action rules are run once prior to recursing through the
+# list of subdirectories and running the action rule in each one.
+# See DEP_template2 above for how that rule ordering is achieved.
+beforeActions = $(addprefix before-,$(ACTIONS))
+$(beforeActions):
+
 $(ARCHS) $(ACTIONS) $(actionArchTargets) :%: \
     $(foreach dir, $(DIRS), $(dir)$(DIVIDER)%)
 
-.PHONY : $(DIRS) all host rebuild pre-make
-.PHONY : $(ARCHS) $(ACTIONS)
+.PHONY : $(DIRS) all host rebuild
+.PHONY : $(ARCHS) $(ACTIONS) $(beforeActions)
 .PHONY : $(dirActionTargets) $(dirArchTargets)
 .PHONY : $(dirActionArchTargets)
 .PHONY : $(actionArchTargets)
diff --git a/configure/RULES_TOP b/configure/RULES_TOP
index 627f4b63c..d77e2a6c3 100644
--- a/configure/RULES_TOP
+++ b/configure/RULES_TOP
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ uninstall$(DIVIDER)%:
 	$(RMDIR) $(addsuffix /$(subst uninstall$(DIVIDER),,$@), \
 	    $(INSTALL_LOCATION_BIN) $(INSTALL_LOCATION_LIB))
 
-pre-make:
-	@$(if $(filter test-results, $(MAKECMDGOALS)), \
-	    $(RM) $(TEST_FAILURE_FILE))
-test-results:
+before-runtests before-test-results: rm-failure-file
+rm-failure-file:
+	@$(RM) $(TEST_FAILURE_FILE)
+runtests test-results:
 	$(PERL) $(TOOLS)/testFailures.pl $(TEST_FAILURE_FILE)
 
 help:
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ help:
 	@echo "     xxxRecord.o"
 
 .PHONY: distclean cvsclean realuninstall archuninstall uninstallDirs
-.PHONY: uninstall help
+.PHONY: uninstall rm-failure-file help
 
 # Include <top>/cfg/TOP_RULES* files from tops defined in RELEASE* files
 #