diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile b/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
index defae23a0169..97830e46d1a0 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ STATIC_OBJDIR	:= $(OUTPUT)staticobjs/
 BPF_IN_SHARED	:= $(SHARED_OBJDIR)libbpf-in.o
 BPF_IN_STATIC	:= $(STATIC_OBJDIR)libbpf-in.o
 VERSION_SCRIPT	:= libbpf.map
+BPF_HELPER_DEFS	:= $(OUTPUT)bpf_helper_defs.h
 
 LIB_TARGET	:= $(addprefix $(OUTPUT),$(LIB_TARGET))
 LIB_FILE	:= $(addprefix $(OUTPUT),$(LIB_FILE))
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ all: fixdep
 
 all_cmd: $(CMD_TARGETS) check
 
-$(BPF_IN_SHARED): force elfdep bpfdep bpf_helper_defs.h
+$(BPF_IN_SHARED): force elfdep bpfdep $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
 	@(test -f ../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h -a -f ../../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h && ( \
 	(diff -B ../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h ../../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h >/dev/null) || \
 	echo "Warning: Kernel ABI header at 'tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h' differs from latest version at 'include/uapi/linux/bpf.h'" >&2 )) || true
@@ -177,12 +178,12 @@ $(BPF_IN_SHARED): force elfdep bpfdep bpf_helper_defs.h
 	echo "Warning: Kernel ABI header at 'tools/include/uapi/linux/if_xdp.h' differs from latest version at 'include/uapi/linux/if_xdp.h'" >&2 )) || true
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=libbpf OUTPUT=$(SHARED_OBJDIR) CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS) $(SHLIB_FLAGS)"
 
-$(BPF_IN_STATIC): force elfdep bpfdep bpf_helper_defs.h
+$(BPF_IN_STATIC): force elfdep bpfdep $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=libbpf OUTPUT=$(STATIC_OBJDIR)
 
-bpf_helper_defs.h: $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
+$(BPF_HELPER_DEFS): $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
 	$(Q)$(srctree)/scripts/bpf_helpers_doc.py --header 		\
-		--file $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h > bpf_helper_defs.h
+		--file $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h > $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
 
 $(OUTPUT)libbpf.so: $(OUTPUT)libbpf.so.$(LIBBPF_VERSION)
 
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ install_lib: all_cmd
 		$(call do_install_mkdir,$(libdir_SQ)); \
 		cp -fpR $(LIB_FILE) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir_SQ)
 
-install_headers: bpf_helper_defs.h
+install_headers: $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
 	$(call QUIET_INSTALL, headers) \
 		$(call do_install,bpf.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,libbpf.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ install_headers: bpf_helper_defs.h
 		$(call do_install,libbpf_util.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,xsk.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,bpf_helpers.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
-		$(call do_install,bpf_helper_defs.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
+		$(call do_install,$(BPF_HELPER_DEFS),$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,bpf_tracing.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,bpf_endian.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,bpf_core_read.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644);
@@ -271,7 +272,7 @@ install: install_lib install_pkgconfig
 clean:
 	$(call QUIET_CLEAN, libbpf) $(RM) -rf $(CMD_TARGETS) \
 		*.o *~ *.a *.so *.so.$(LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION) .*.d .*.cmd \
-		*.pc LIBBPF-CFLAGS bpf_helper_defs.h \
+		*.pc LIBBPF-CFLAGS $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS) \
 		$(SHARED_OBJDIR) $(STATIC_OBJDIR)
 	$(call QUIET_CLEAN, core-gen) $(RM) $(OUTPUT)FEATURE-DUMP.libbpf
 
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
index 419652458da4..1ff0a9f49c01 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
@@ -40,3 +40,4 @@ xdping
 test_cpp
 /no_alu32
 /bpf_gcc
+bpf_helper_defs.h
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
index e0fe01d9ec33..e2fd6f8d579c 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
@@ -120,9 +120,9 @@ $(OUTPUT)/test_cgroup_attach: cgroup_helpers.c
 $(BPFOBJ): force
 	$(MAKE) -C $(BPFDIR) OUTPUT=$(OUTPUT)/
 
-BPF_HELPERS := $(BPFDIR)/bpf_helper_defs.h $(wildcard $(BPFDIR)/bpf_*.h)
-$(BPFDIR)/bpf_helper_defs.h:
-	$(MAKE) -C $(BPFDIR) OUTPUT=$(OUTPUT)/ bpf_helper_defs.h
+BPF_HELPERS := $(OUTPUT)/bpf_helper_defs.h $(wildcard $(BPFDIR)/bpf_*.h)
+$(OUTPUT)/bpf_helper_defs.h:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(BPFDIR) OUTPUT=$(OUTPUT)/ $(OUTPUT)/bpf_helper_defs.h
 
 # Get Clang's default includes on this system, as opposed to those seen by
 # '-target bpf'. This fixes "missing" files on some architectures/distros,
