diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f4d03d42f8..75fe364029 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -145,5 +145,13 @@ check: test checkheaders
 include doc/Makefile
 include tests/Makefile
 
+# Dummy rule to stop make trying to rebuild removed or renamed headers
+%.h:
+	@:
+
+# Disable suffix rules.  Most of the builtin rules are suffix rules,
+# so this saves some time on slow systems.
+.SUFFIXES:
+
 .PHONY: all alltools *clean check config examples install*
 .PHONY: testprogs uninstall*
diff --git a/common.mak b/common.mak
index e9e69f263b..8d21d154d5 100644
--- a/common.mak
+++ b/common.mak
@@ -43,14 +43,6 @@ HOSTCFLAGS += $(IFLAGS)
 
 %.c %.h: TAG = GEN
 
-# Dummy rule to stop make trying to rebuild removed or renamed headers
-%.h:
-	@:
-
-# Disable suffix rules.  Most of the builtin rules are suffix rules,
-# so this saves some time on slow systems.
-.SUFFIXES:
-
 endif
 
 OBJS-$(HAVE_MMX) +=  $(MMX-OBJS-yes)