diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 829c51e364..54547a37b1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ include config-host.mak
 include Makefile.prereqs
 Makefile.prereqs: config-host.mak
 
-include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/Makefile.include
-
 # 0. ensure the build tree is okay
 
 # Check that we're not trying to do an out-of-tree build from
@@ -182,6 +180,8 @@ endif # config-host.mak does not exist
 
 SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS=$(if $(V),,--no-print-directory --quiet)
 
+include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/Makefile.include
+
 all: recurse-all
 
 SUBDIR_RULES=$(foreach t, all clean distclean, $(addsuffix /$(t), $(SUBDIRS)))