diff --git a/distrib/common/Makefile.image b/distrib/common/Makefile.image
index f1ee938ea3c2..e1f47fb2b951 100644
--- a/distrib/common/Makefile.image
+++ b/distrib/common/Makefile.image
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: Makefile.image,v 1.27 2003/10/26 07:25:33 lukem Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile.image,v 1.28 2004/05/04 02:52:05 lukem Exp $
 #
 # Makefile snippet to build a tree from the provided lists,
 # and make an ffs file system image from that tree
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ ${WORKBUILT}: ${IMAGEDEPENDS} ${WORKSPEC} ${PARSELISTDEP} ${LISTS}
 #	There is a .PHONY ${CRUNCHBIN}, so check if out of date by hand
 #	Default to `.' if ${CRUNCHBIN} isn't set, to always force a rebuild.
 	[ "${.OODATE}" = ${CRUNCHBIN:U.} -a -f ${WORKBUILT} -a ${WORKBUILT} -nt ${CRUNCHBIN:U.} ]  || { \
-	echo "Building tree into ${WORKDIR}"; \
+	${_MKSHMSG} "  build " ${.CURDIR:T}/${WORKDIR}; \
 	rm -rf ${WORKDIR} ${WORKBUILT}; \
 	mkdir -m 755 ${WORKDIR} &&  \
 	${TOOL_MTREE} -def ${WORKSPEC} -p ${WORKDIR}/ -UW && \
@@ -66,8 +66,12 @@ cleanfsimage:
 
 .if !target(${WORKSPEC})					# {
 ${WORKSPEC}: ${MTREECONF} ${LISTS} ${PARSELISTDEP}
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE}
 	-rm -f ${.TARGET} ${.TARGET}.tmp
 	( for i in ${MTREECONF}; do	\
+		echo "# --" ; \
+		echo "# entries from: $$i" ; \
+		echo "#" ; \
 		cat $$i ;		\
 		echo "/unset all" ;	\
 	done ) >> ${.TARGET}.tmp
@@ -80,7 +84,7 @@ CLEANFILES+=	${WORKSPEC} ${WORKSPEC}.tmp
 .if defined(IMAGE)						# {
 ${IMAGE}: ${WORKBUILT}
 	[ "${.OODATE}" = ${WORKBUILT} -a -f ${IMAGE} -a ! ${IMAGE} -ot ${WORKBUILT} ]  || { \
-	echo "Creating image into ${.TARGET}..."; \
+	${_MKSHMSG_CREATE} ${.CURDIR:T}/${.TARGET}; \
 	rm -f ${.TARGET} ${.TARGET}.tmp; \
 	${TOOL_MAKEFS} -t ffs -B ${IMAGEENDIAN} -s ${IMAGESIZE} -F ${WORKSPEC} \
 	    -N ${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc -o bsize=4096,fsize=512 \
@@ -93,6 +97,7 @@ ${IMAGE}: ${WORKBUILT}
 .endif
 
 ${IMAGE}.gz: ${IMAGE}
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE}
 	-rm -f ${.TARGET}
 	gzip -9c ${.ALLSRC} > ${.TARGET}
 
@@ -110,6 +115,7 @@ CLEANFILES+=	${IMAGE} ${IMAGE}.gz ${IMAGE}.tmp
 
 .if defined(IMAGETAR)						# {
 ${IMAGETAR}: ${WORKBUILT} ${WORKSPEC} ${IMAGEDEPENDS}
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE}
 	( cd ${WORKDIR}; \
 	  GZIP=-9 ${TOOL_PAX} -ON ${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc -wdzM <${.OBJDIR}/${WORKSPEC} \
 	) > ${.TARGET}.tmp \
diff --git a/distrib/common/Makefile.makedev b/distrib/common/Makefile.makedev
index d5f14f668ba9..7efc52b10e4c 100644
--- a/distrib/common/Makefile.makedev
+++ b/distrib/common/Makefile.makedev
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: Makefile.makedev,v 1.9 2004/01/01 14:34:24 lukem Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile.makedev,v 1.10 2004/05/04 02:52:05 lukem Exp $
 #
 # Makefile snippet to add ${MAKEDEVTARGETS} devices to the mtree list
 # (if set), otherwise copy .OJBDIR-of-etc/MAKEDEV to ./dev
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ CLEANFILES+=	${MAKEDEVSPEC} ${MAKEDEVSPEC}.tmp
 MTREECONF+=	${MAKEDEVSPEC}
 
 ${MAKEDEVSPEC}:	${MAKEDEVSCRIPT}
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE}
 	-rm -f ${.TARGET} ${.TARGET}.tmp
 	MACHINE=${MACHINE:Q} MACHINE_ARCH=${MACHINE_ARCH:Q} \
 	    ${HOST_SH} ${MAKEDEVSCRIPT} -s ${MAKEDEVTARGETS} \
diff --git a/distrib/common/Makefile.mdset b/distrib/common/Makefile.mdset
index 92b8b98eeffc..caa534958e37 100644
--- a/distrib/common/Makefile.mdset
+++ b/distrib/common/Makefile.mdset
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: Makefile.mdset,v 1.24 2004/01/17 20:17:44 dsl Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile.mdset,v 1.25 2004/05/04 02:52:05 lukem Exp $
 #
 # Makefile snippet to ${TOOL_MDSETIMAGE} file system images into kernels
 #
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ ${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}.${_S}: ${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}
 .endif
 
 ${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}.${_S}.gz: ${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}.${_S}
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE}
 	-rm -f ${.TARGET}
 	gzip -9c ${.ALLSRC} > ${.TARGET}
 
@@ -103,9 +104,7 @@ _POST.${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}:= ${MDSET_POST.${_FILENAME}}
 .endif
 
 ${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}: .NOTMAIN ${_KERNNAME.${_K}.${_F}} ${_I}
-	@echo "mdsetimage: ${_KERNNAME.${_K}.${_F}}"
-	@echo "      with: ${_I}"
-	@echo "      into: ${.TARGET}"
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE} "(from: ${.ALLSRC})"
 	@rm -f ${.TARGET} ${.TARGET}.tmp ${.TARGET}.symbols.gz
 	@cp ${_KERNNAME.${_K}.${_F}} ${.TARGET}.tmp
 	${TOOL_MDSETIMAGE} -v ${.TARGET}.tmp ${_I}
@@ -121,6 +120,7 @@ ${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}: .NOTMAIN ${_KERNNAME.${_K}.${_F}} ${_I}
 .endif
 
 ${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}.gz: ${_KERNEL.${_K}.${_F}}
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE}
 	-rm -f ${.TARGET}
 	gzip -9c ${.ALLSRC} > ${.TARGET}
 
diff --git a/distrib/common/Makefile.tarfloppy b/distrib/common/Makefile.tarfloppy
index 4a619ef46b8c..bd4b16b5de66 100644
--- a/distrib/common/Makefile.tarfloppy
+++ b/distrib/common/Makefile.tarfloppy
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: Makefile.tarfloppy,v 1.10 2003/07/10 10:34:05 lukem Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile.tarfloppy,v 1.11 2004/05/04 02:52:05 lukem Exp $
 #
 # Makefile snippet to create a set of ustar floppies.
 # Each floppy has an 8KB header, followed by part or all of the ustar archive.
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ _MAKEFILE_TARFLOPPY_=1
 .if defined(FLOPPY_BOOT)				# {
 CLEANFILES+=	boot
 boot: ${FLOPPY_BOOT}
-	@echo "Copying ${.ALLSRC} to boot"
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE} "(from: ${.ALLSRC})"
 	@rm -f boot
 	@cp ${.ALLSRC} boot
 .if defined(FLOPPY_BOOT_STRIP)
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ boot: ${FLOPPY_BOOT}
 .if defined(FLOPPY_NETBSD)				# {
 CLEANFILES+=	netbsd
 netbsd: ${FLOPPY_NETBSD}
-	@echo "Copying ${.ALLSRC} to ${.TARGET}"
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE} "(from: ${.ALLSRC})"
 	@rm -f ${.TARGET}
 	@cp ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
 .endif	# FLOPPY_NETBSD					# }
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ netbsd: ${FLOPPY_NETBSD}
 .if defined(FLOPPYMETAFILE)				# {
 CLEANFILES+=	${FLOPPYMETAFILE}
 ${FLOPPYMETAFILE}:
-	@echo "Creating ${FLOPPYMETAFILE}"
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE}
 	@rm -f ${FLOPPYMETAFILE}
 	@touch ${FLOPPYMETAFILE}
 .endif	# FLOPPYMETAFILE				# }
 
 
 ${FLOPPYBASE}1${FLOPPYSUFFIX}: ${FLOPPYFILES} ${DISTRIBDIR}/common/buildfloppies.sh
-	@echo "Creating ${FLOPPYBASE}1${FLOPPYSUFFIX} from: ${FLOPPYFILES}"
+	${_MKTARGET_CREATE} "(from: ${FLOPPYFILES})"
 	PAX=${TOOL_PAX:Q} ${HOST_SH} ${DISTRIBDIR}/common/buildfloppies.sh \
 	    ${FLOPPYINSTBOOT:D-i ${FLOPPYINSTBOOT}} ${FLOPPYPAD:D-p} \
 	    ${FLOPPYMAX:D-m ${FLOPPYMAX}} ${FLOPPYSUFFIX:D-s ${FLOPPYSUFFIX}} \