diff --git a/bin/csh/Makefile b/bin/csh/Makefile
--- a/bin/csh/Makefile
+++ b/bin/csh/Makefile
@@ -118,15 +118,18 @@
 csh.1: tcsh.man
 	cat ${.ALLSRC} > ${.TARGET}
 
+.if ${MACHINE} == "host" || ${MK_DIRDEPS_BUILD} == "no"
 build-tools: gethost
+tc.defs.c: gethost
 
 DEPENDOBJS+= gethost
 gethost: gethost.c sh.err.h tc.const.h sh.h ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	@rm -f ${.TARGET}
 	${CC:N${CCACHE_BIN}} -o gethost ${LDFLAGS} ${CFLAGS:C/-DHAVE_ICONV//} \
 	    ${TCSHDIR}/gethost.c
+.endif
 
-tc.defs.c: gethost ${TCSHDIR}/host.defs
+tc.defs.c: ${TCSHDIR}/host.defs
 	@rm -f ${.TARGET}
 	@echo "/* Do not edit this file, make creates it */" > ${.TARGET}
 	${BTOOLSPATH:U.}/gethost ${TCSHDIR}/host.defs >> ${.TARGET}
diff --git a/bin/sh/Makefile b/bin/sh/Makefile
--- a/bin/sh/Makefile
+++ b/bin/sh/Makefile
@@ -39,15 +39,18 @@
 CLEANFILES+= mknodes mksyntax
 CLEANFILES+= ${GENSRCS} ${GENHDRS}
 
+.if ${MACHINE} == "host" || ${MK_DIRDEPS_BUILD} == "no"
 build-tools: mknodes mksyntax
 
+DEPENDOBJS+= mknodes mksyntax
+mknodes mksyntax: ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
+.endif
+
 .ORDER: builtins.c builtins.h
 builtins.h: .NOMETA
 builtins.c builtins.h: mkbuiltins builtins.def
 	sh ${.CURDIR}/mkbuiltins ${.CURDIR}
 
-DEPENDOBJS+= mknodes mksyntax
-mknodes mksyntax: ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 
 .ORDER: nodes.c nodes.h
 nodes.h: .NOMETA
diff --git a/lib/ncurses/tinfo/Makefile b/lib/ncurses/tinfo/Makefile
--- a/lib/ncurses/tinfo/Makefile
+++ b/lib/ncurses/tinfo/Makefile
@@ -270,6 +270,11 @@
 	AWK=${AWK} sh ${NCURSES_DIR}/ncurses/tinfo/MKkeys_list.sh \
 	    ${NCURSES_DIR}/include/Caps ${NCURSES_DIR}/include/Caps-ncurses | LC_ALL=C sort > keys.list
 
+.if ${MK_DIRDEPS_BUILD} == "yes" && ${MACHINE} != "host"
+# we need to override the default
+BTOOLSPATH= ${HOST_OBJTOP}/${RELDIR:S,w$,,}
+.endif
+.if ${MACHINE} == "host" || ${MK_DIRDEPS_BUILD} == "no"
 # Build tools
 DEPENDOBJS+= make_hash make_keys
 build-tools: make_hash make_keys
@@ -280,6 +285,14 @@
 make_hash: make_hash.c hashsize.h ncurses_def.h ${HEADERS} ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
 	${CC:N${CCACHE_BIN}} -o $@ ${CFLAGS} -DMAIN_PROGRAM \
 		${NCURSES_DIR}/ncurses/tinfo/make_hash.c
+.endif
+.if ${MK_DIRDEPS_BUILD} == "yes" && ${MACHINE} != "host"
+make_keys: ${BTOOLSPATH}/make_keys
+	${LN:Uln} -sf ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+
+make_hash: ${BTOOLSPATH}/make_hash
+	${LN:Uln} -sf ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+.endif
 
 # ./configure generated
 MKterm.h.awk: MKterm.h.awk.in
diff --git a/share/mk/local.meta.sys.mk b/share/mk/local.meta.sys.mk
--- a/share/mk/local.meta.sys.mk
+++ b/share/mk/local.meta.sys.mk
@@ -210,12 +210,19 @@
 .elif defined(STAGE_HOST_OBJTOP)
 TOOLSDIR?= ${STAGE_HOST_OBJTOP}
 .endif
+.if ${MK_DIRDEPS_BUILD} == "yes" && ${MACHINE} != "host"
+# ideally tools needed by makefiles like sh,csh,tinfo
+# would be built in their own directories but for now
+# this works well enough.
+BTOOLSPATH?= ${HOST_OBJTOP}/${RELDIR}
+.else
 # Only define if it exists in case user didn't run bootstrap-tools.  Otherwise
 # the tool will be built during the build.  Building it assumes it is
 # TARGET==MACHINE.
 .if exists(${HOST_OBJTOP}/tools${.CURDIR})
 BTOOLSPATH= ${HOST_OBJTOP}/tools${.CURDIR}
 .endif
+.endif
 
 # Don't use the bootstrap tools logic on itself.
 .if ${.TARGETS:Mbootstrap-tools} == "" && \
diff --git a/share/syscons/scrnmaps/Makefile b/share/syscons/scrnmaps/Makefile
--- a/share/syscons/scrnmaps/Makefile
+++ b/share/syscons/scrnmaps/Makefile
@@ -14,16 +14,18 @@
 FILES=	${SCRMAPS}
 FILESDIR= ${SHAREDIR}/syscons/scrnmaps
 
+.if ${MACHINE} == "host" || ${MK_DIRDEPS_BUILD} == "no"
 DEPENDOBJS+= ${SCRMAPS_MK}
 build-tools: ${SCRMAPS_MK}
 
+${SCRMAPS_MK}: ${.TARGET:R} mkscrfil.c ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
+	${CC:N${CCACHE_BIN}} ${CFLAGS} -I${.CURDIR} -DFIL=\"${.TARGET:R}\" \
+	    ${LDFLAGS} -o ${.TARGET} ${.CURDIR}/mkscrfil.c
+.endif
+
 ${SCRMAPS}: ${.TARGET:R}.mk
 	${BTOOLSPATH:U.}/${.TARGET:R}.mk ${.TARGET:R}.tmp
 	uuencode ${.TARGET:R}.tmp ${.TARGET:R} > ${.TARGET}
 	rm -f ${.TARGET:R}.tmp
 
-${SCRMAPS_MK}: ${.TARGET:R} mkscrfil.c ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
-	${CC:N${CCACHE_BIN}} ${CFLAGS} -I${.CURDIR} -DFIL=\"${.TARGET:R}\" \
-	    ${LDFLAGS} -o ${.TARGET} ${.CURDIR}/mkscrfil.c
-
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/awk/Makefile b/usr.bin/awk/Makefile
--- a/usr.bin/awk/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/awk/Makefile
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@
 proctab.c: maketab awkgram.tab.h
 	${BTOOLSPATH:U.}/maketab awkgram.tab.h > proctab.c
 
+.if ${MACHINE} == "host" || ${MK_DIRDEPS_BUILD} == "no"
 DEPENDOBJS+= maketab
 build-tools: maketab
 maketab: awkgram.tab.h ${BUILD_TOOLS_META}
+.endif
 
 HAS_TESTS=
 SUBDIR.${MK_TESTS}+= tests