diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b29f5ba2a..0b4554ff9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -21,18 +21,18 @@ FORCE:
 
 -include mk/config.mk
 ifneq ($(SYSTEM),Darwin)
-REALMAKE = $(MAKE) -f mk/default.mk
+MAKEARGS += -f mk/default.mk
 else
-REALMAKE = $(MAKE) -f mk/osx.mk
+MAKEARGS += -f mk/osx.mk
 endif
 
 all: required
-	@$(REALMAKE) all
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) all
 clean: required
-	@$(REALMAKE) clean
-install: required
-	@$(REALMAKE) install
-package: required
-	@$(REALMAKE) package
-package-release: required
-	@$(REALMAKE) package-release
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) clean
+install: all
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) install
+package: all
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) package
+package-release: all
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) package-release
diff --git a/mk/common.mk b/mk/common.mk
index c162ec47f..255f47c20 100644
--- a/mk/common.mk
+++ b/mk/common.mk
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ define INSTALL_MAN_RULE
 	@$(CP) $< $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/man/man1/
 endef
 
-RM    = rm -Rf
-CP    = cp -f
-MKDIR = mkdir -p
-MAKE += --no-print-directory
+RM       = rm -Rf
+CP       = cp -f
+MKDIR    = mkdir -p
+MAKEARGS = --no-print-directory
diff --git a/mk/default.mk b/mk/default.mk
index 72e933339..194b0acd9 100644
--- a/mk/default.mk
+++ b/mk/default.mk
@@ -15,29 +15,29 @@ all: $(TARGETS)
 
 .lib:
 	@echo "* Building libtransmission"
-	@$(MAKE) -C libtransmission -f ../mk/lib.mk
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C libtransmission -f ../mk/lib.mk
 
 .cli: .lib
 	@echo "* Building Transmission CLI client"
-	@$(MAKE) -C cli -f ../mk/cli.mk
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C cli -f ../mk/cli.mk
 
 .gtk: .lib
 	@echo "* Building Transmission GTK+ client"
-	@$(MAKE) -C gtk -f ../mk/gtk.mk
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C gtk -f ../mk/gtk.mk
 
 .beos: .lib
 	@echo "* Building Transmission BeOS client"
-	@make -C beos -f ../mk/beos.mk
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C beos -f ../mk/beos.mk
 
 install: all $(foreach SUB,$(TARGETS),.install$(SUB)) .install.misc
 
 .install.cli: .cli
 	@echo "* Installing Transmission CLI client"
-	@$(MAKE) -C cli -f ../mk/cli.mk install
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C cli -f ../mk/cli.mk install
 
 .install.gtk: .gtk
 	@echo "* Installing Transmission GTK+ client"
-	@$(MAKE) -C gtk -f ../mk/gtk.mk install
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C gtk -f ../mk/gtk.mk install
 
 .install.beos:
 
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@ install: all $(foreach SUB,$(TARGETS),.install$(SUB)) .install.misc
 	@$(CP) misc/transmissioncli.zsh $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/zsh/site-functions/_transmissioncli
 
 clean:
-	@$(MAKE) -C libtransmission -f ../mk/lib.mk clean
-	@$(MAKE) -C cli -f ../mk/cli.mk clean
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C libtransmission -f ../mk/lib.mk clean
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C cli -f ../mk/cli.mk clean
 ifeq ($(GTK),yes)
-	@$(MAKE) -C gtk -f ../mk/gtk.mk clean
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C gtk -f ../mk/gtk.mk clean
 endif
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),BeOS)
-	@$(MAKE) -C beos -f ../mk/beos.mk clean
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C beos -f ../mk/beos.mk clean
 endif
diff --git a/mk/gtk.mk b/mk/gtk.mk
index c06055981..772f2ef74 100644
--- a/mk/gtk.mk
+++ b/mk/gtk.mk
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ transmission-gtk: $(OBJS) ../libtransmission/libtransmission.a
 	$(LINK_RULE)
 
 .po:
-	@$(MAKE) -C po -f ../../mk/po.mk
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C po -f ../../mk/po.mk
 
 %.o: %.c ../mk/config.mk ../mk/common.mk ../mk/gtk.mk
 	$(CC_RULE)
@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ clean:
 	@$(RM) transmission-gtk
 	@echo "Clean $(OBJS)"
 	@$(RM) $(OBJS)
-	@$(MAKE) -C po -f ../../mk/po.mk clean
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C po -f ../../mk/po.mk clean
 
 .depend: $(SRCS) ../mk/config.mk ../mk/common.mk ../mk/gtk.mk
 	$(DEP_RULE)
 
 install: transmission-gtk .po
 	$(INSTALL_BIN_RULE)
-	@$(MAKE) -C po -f ../../mk/po.mk install
+	@$(MAKE) $(MAKEARGS) -C po -f ../../mk/po.mk install
 
 morepot: $(SRCS)
 	xgettext --output=po/transmission-gtk.pot --from-code=UTF-8 --add-comments --keyword=_ --keyword=N_ $^