diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 18e261b6e..2575184e8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -280,12 +280,18 @@ else
 EXP :=
 endif
 
+# tools/update-mocks.sh does nasty recursive make, must not do this!
+ifeq ($(SUPPRESS_GENERATION),1)
+SHA256STAMP_CHANGED = false
+SHA256STAMP = exit 1
+else
 # Git doesn't maintain timestamps, so we only regen if sources actually changed:
 # We place the SHA inside some generated files so we can tell if they need updating.
 # Usage: $(call SHA256STAMP_CHANGED)
 SHA256STAMP_CHANGED = [ x"`sed -n 's/.*SHA256STAMP://p' $@ 2>/dev/null`" != x"`cat $(sort $(filter-out FORCE,$^)) | $(SHA256SUM) | cut -c1-64`" ]
 # Usage: $(call SHA256STAMP,commentprefix)
 SHA256STAMP = echo '$(1) SHA256STAMP:'`cat $(sort $(filter-out FORCE,$^)) | $(SHA256SUM) | cut -c1-64` >> $@
+endif
 
 # generate-wire.py --page [header|impl] hdrfilename wirename < csv > file
 %_wiregen.h: %_wire.csv $(WIRE_GEN_DEPS)
@@ -363,7 +369,7 @@ ALL_OBJS := $(ALL_C_SOURCES:.c=.o)
 
 # We always regen wiregen and printgen files, since SHA256STAMP protects against
 # spurious rebuilds.
-$(filter %printgen.h %printgen.c %wiregen.h %wiregen.c, $(ALL_C_HEADERS) $(ALL_C_SOURCES)): FORCE
+$(filter %printgen.h %printgen.c %wiregen.h %wiregen.c, $(ALL_C_HEADERS) $(ALL_C_SOURCES)): $(FORCE)
 
 ifneq ($(TEST_GROUP_COUNT),)
 PYTEST_OPTS += --test-group=$(TEST_GROUP) --test-group-count=$(TEST_GROUP_COUNT)
@@ -527,9 +533,13 @@ ncc: ${TARGET_DIR}/libwally-core-build/src/libwallycore.la
 	$(MAKE) CC="ncc -ncgcc -ncld -ncfabs" AR=nccar LD=nccld
 
 # Ignore test/ directories.
-TAGS: FORCE
+TAGS:
 	$(RM) TAGS; find * -name test -type d -prune -o -name '*.[ch]' -print -o -name '*.py' -print | xargs etags --append
+
+ifneq ($(SUPPRESS_GENERATION),1)
+FORCE = FORCE
 FORCE::
+endif
 
 ccan/ccan/cdump/tools/cdump-enumstr: ccan/ccan/cdump/tools/cdump-enumstr.o $(CDUMP_OBJS) $(CCAN_OBJS)
 
@@ -537,7 +547,7 @@ ALL_PROGRAMS += ccan/ccan/cdump/tools/cdump-enumstr
 # Can't add to ALL_OBJS, as that makes a circular dep.
 ccan/ccan/cdump/tools/cdump-enumstr.o: $(CCAN_HEADERS) Makefile
 
-version_gen.h: FORCE
+version_gen.h: $(FORCE)
 	@(echo "#define VERSION \"$(VERSION)\"" && echo "#define BUILD_FEATURES \"$(FEATURES)\"") > $@.new
 	@if cmp $@.new $@ >/dev/null 2>&1; then rm -f $@.new; else mv $@.new $@; $(ECHO) Version updated; fi
 
diff --git a/doc/Makefile b/doc/Makefile
index 900aedaf3..525c65777 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile
+++ b/doc/Makefile
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ doc-all: $(MANPAGES) doc/index.rst
 $(MANPAGES): doc/%: doc/%.md
 	@if $(call SHA256STAMP_CHANGED); then $(call VERBOSE, "mrkd $<", mrkd $< $@ && $(call SHA256STAMP,\")); else touch $@; fi
 
-$(MANPAGES): FORCE
+$(MANPAGES): $(FORCE)
 
 doc/protocol-%.svg: test/test_protocol
 	test/test_protocol --svg < test/commits/$*.script > $@
diff --git a/external/Makefile b/external/Makefile
index 590e6c568..975d4d259 100644
--- a/external/Makefile
+++ b/external/Makefile
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ endif
 
 EXTERNAL_LDLIBS := -L${TARGET_DIR} $(patsubst lib%.a,-l%,$(notdir $(EXTERNAL_LIBS)))
 
-submodcheck: FORCE
+submodcheck: $(FORCE)
 	@tools/refresh-submodules.sh $(SUBMODULES)
 	@cd external/libwally-core && ../../tools/refresh-submodules.sh src/secp256k1
 
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index b4dc87710..64653331a 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ TOOLS_COMMON_OBJS = common/utils.o
 
 # We force make to relink this every time, to detect version changes.
 # Do it atomically, otherwise parallel builds can get upset!
-tools/headerversions: FORCE tools/headerversions.o $(CCAN_OBJS)
+tools/headerversions: $(FORCE) tools/headerversions.o $(CCAN_OBJS)
 	@trap "rm -f $@.tmp.$$$$" EXIT; $(LINK.o) tools/headerversions.o $(CCAN_OBJS) $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@.tmp.$$$$ && mv $@.tmp.$$$$ $@
 
 tools/check-bolt: tools/check-bolt.o $(CCAN_OBJS) $(TOOLS_COMMON_OBJS)
diff --git a/tools/update-mocks.sh b/tools/update-mocks.sh
index 00c63afbb..4e071883e 100755
--- a/tools/update-mocks.sh
+++ b/tools/update-mocks.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ START=$(grep -F -n '/* AUTOGENERATED MOCKS START */' "$FILE" | cut -d: -f1)
 END=$(grep -F -n '/* AUTOGENERATED MOCKS END */' "$FILE" | cut -d: -f1)
 
 function make_binary() {
-    $MAKE "${FILE/%.c/}" 2> "${BASE}.err" >/dev/null
+    $MAKE SUPPRESS_GENERATION=1 "${FILE/%.c/}" 2> "${BASE}.err" >/dev/null
 }
 
 if [ -n "$START" ]; then
diff --git a/wallet/Makefile b/wallet/Makefile
index 70ea1579a..705290d7a 100644
--- a/wallet/Makefile
+++ b/wallet/Makefile
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@ SQL_FILES := 				\
 	wallet/test/run-db.c		\
 	wallet/test/run-wallet.c	\
 
-wallet/statements_gettextgen.po: $(SQL_FILES) FORCE
+wallet/statements_gettextgen.po: $(SQL_FILES) $(FORCE)
 	@if $(call SHA256STAMP_CHANGED); then if [ "$$NO_PYTHON" = 1 ]; then echo "Error: NO_PYTHON on $@"; exit 1; fi; \
 		$(call VERBOSE,"xgettext $@",xgettext -kNAMED_SQL -kSQL --add-location --no-wrap --omit-header -o $@ $(SQL_FILES) && $(call SHA256STAMP,# )); \
 	fi
 
-wallet/db_%_sqlgen.c: wallet/statements_gettextgen.po devtools/sql-rewrite.py FORCE
+wallet/db_%_sqlgen.c: wallet/statements_gettextgen.po devtools/sql-rewrite.py $(FORCE)
 	@if $(call SHA256STAMP_CHANGED); then if [ "$$NO_PYTHON" = 1 ]; then echo "Error: NO_PYTHON on $@"; exit 1; fi; \
 		$(call VERBOSE,"sql-rewrite $@",devtools/sql-rewrite.py wallet/statements_gettextgen.po $* > $@ && $(call SHA256STAMP,//)); \
 	fi