diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 54547a37b1..829c51e364 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ 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
@@ -180,8 +182,6 @@ 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)))