diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index 40b774ad68..5cc577b890 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -113,32 +113,20 @@ user-exec.o: QEMU_CFLAGS += $(HELPER_CFLAGS)
 
 # Note: this is a workaround. The real fix is to avoid compiling
 # cpu_signal_handler() in user-exec.c.
-signal.o: QEMU_CFLAGS += $(HELPER_CFLAGS)
+%/signal.o: QEMU_CFLAGS += $(HELPER_CFLAGS)
 
 #########################################################
 # Linux user emulator target
 
 ifdef CONFIG_LINUX_USER
 
-$(call set-vpath, $(SRC_PATH)/linux-user:$(SRC_PATH)/linux-user/$(TARGET_ABI_DIR))
-
 QEMU_CFLAGS+=-I$(SRC_PATH)/linux-user/$(TARGET_ABI_DIR) -I$(SRC_PATH)/linux-user
-obj-y = main.o syscall.o strace.o mmap.o signal.o thunk.o \
-      elfload.o linuxload.o uaccess.o gdbstub.o cpu-uname.o \
-      user-exec.o $(oslib-obj-y)
-
-obj-$(TARGET_HAS_BFLT) += flatload.o
-
-obj-$(TARGET_I386) += vm86.o
 
+obj-y += linux-user/
+obj-y += gdbstub.o thunk.o user-exec.o $(oslib-obj-y)
 obj-i386-y += ioport-user.o
-
-nwfpe-obj-y = fpa11.o fpa11_cpdo.o fpa11_cpdt.o fpa11_cprt.o fpopcode.o
-nwfpe-obj-y += single_cpdo.o double_cpdo.o extended_cpdo.o
-obj-arm-y +=  $(addprefix nwfpe/, $(nwfpe-obj-y))
-obj-arm-y += arm-semi.o
-
-obj-m68k-y += m68k-sim.o m68k-semi.o
+obj-$(TARGET_ARM) += arm-semi.o
+obj-$(TARGET_M68K) += m68k-semi.o
 
 obj-y += $(addprefix ../, $(universal-obj-y))
 obj-y += $(addprefix ../libuser/, $(user-obj-y))
@@ -152,13 +140,10 @@ endif #CONFIG_LINUX_USER
 
 ifdef CONFIG_BSD_USER
 
-$(call set-vpath, $(SRC_PATH)/bsd-user)
-
 QEMU_CFLAGS+=-I$(SRC_PATH)/bsd-user -I$(SRC_PATH)/bsd-user/$(TARGET_ARCH)
 
-obj-y = main.o bsdload.o elfload.o mmap.o signal.o strace.o syscall.o \
-        gdbstub.o uaccess.o user-exec.o
-
+obj-y += bsd-user/
+obj-y += gdbstub.o user-exec.o
 obj-i386-y += ioport-user.o
 
 obj-y += $(addprefix ../, $(universal-obj-y))
@@ -408,6 +393,9 @@ endif # CONFIG_LINUX_USER
 
 obj-$(CONFIG_GDBSTUB_XML) += gdbstub-xml.o
 
+nested-vars = obj-y
+dummy := $(call unnest-vars)
+
 ifdef QEMU_PROGW
 # The linker builds a windows executable. Make also a console executable.
 $(QEMU_PROGW): $(obj-y) $(obj-$(TARGET_BASE_ARCH)-y)
diff --git a/bsd-user/Makefile.objs b/bsd-user/Makefile.objs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e77f57782
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bsd-user/Makefile.objs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+obj-y = main.o bsdload.o elfload.o mmap.o signal.o strace.o syscall.o \
+	        uaccess.o
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 76dd57fc27..2c44488131 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3520,8 +3520,14 @@ mkdir -p $target_dir/ide
 mkdir -p $target_dir/usb
 mkdir -p $target_dir/9pfs
 mkdir -p $target_dir/kvm
+if test "$target_linux_user" = yes; then
+  mkdir -p $target_dir/linux-user
+fi
+if test "$target_bsd_user" = yes; then
+  mkdir -p $target_dir/bsd-user
+fi
 if test "$target" = "arm-linux-user" -o "$target" = "armeb-linux-user" -o "$target" = "arm-bsd-user" -o "$target" = "armeb-bsd-user" ; then
-  mkdir -p $target_dir/nwfpe
+  mkdir -p $target_dir/linux-user/arm/nwfpe
 fi
 symlink "$source_path/Makefile.target" "$target_dir/Makefile"
 
diff --git a/linux-user/Makefile.objs b/linux-user/Makefile.objs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5899d72d3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/linux-user/Makefile.objs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+obj-y = main.o syscall.o strace.o mmap.o signal.o \
+	elfload.o linuxload.o uaccess.o cpu-uname.o
+
+obj-$(TARGET_HAS_BFLT) += flatload.o
+obj-$(TARGET_I386) += vm86.o
+obj-$(TARGET_ARM) += arm/nwfpe/
+obj-$(TARGET_M68K) += m68k-sim.o
diff --git a/linux-user/arm/nwfpe/Makefile.objs b/linux-user/arm/nwfpe/Makefile.objs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..51b0c32c2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/linux-user/arm/nwfpe/Makefile.objs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+obj-y = fpa11.o fpa11_cpdo.o fpa11_cpdt.o fpa11_cprt.o fpopcode.o
+obj-y += single_cpdo.o double_cpdo.o extended_cpdo.o