diff --git a/test/zdtm/Makefile b/test/zdtm/Makefile
index 5e0ba42b8..4d6639557 100644
--- a/test/zdtm/Makefile
+++ b/test/zdtm/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 SUBDIRS	=	lib live
 
 default:	all
-.PHONY: default
+.PHONY: default lib live
 
+lib:
+	$(MAKE) -C lib all
+
+live: lib
+	$(MAKE) -C live all
+
+all: lib live
+	@true
 %:
 	set -e; for d in $(SUBDIRS); do $(MAKE) -C $$d $@; done
diff --git a/test/zdtm/lib/Makefile b/test/zdtm/lib/Makefile
index 37d99bafb..d5b5e26e3 100644
--- a/test/zdtm/lib/Makefile
+++ b/test/zdtm/lib/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ all:	$(LIB)
 install: all
 .PHONY: all install
 
-$(LIB):	$(LIB)(${LIBOBJ})
+$(LIB):	$(LIBOBJ)
+	$(Q) ar rv $@ $^
 
 clean:
 	$(RM) -f $(LIBOBJ) $(LIB) *~