[bug #68018] target-specific MAKEFLAGS ends up wrong if commandline overrides present

anonymous <[email protected]> Thu, 5 Feb 2026 07:08:59 -0500 (EST)
Newsgroups	gmane.comp.gnu.make.bugs
Message-ID	<[email protected]>
URL:
  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?68018>

                 Summary: target-specific MAKEFLAGS ends up wrong if
commandline overrides present
                   Group: make
               Submitter: None
               Submitted: Thu 05 Feb 2026 12:08:51 PM UTC
                Severity: 3 - Normal
                Priority: 5 - Normal
              Item Group: Bug
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Unlocked
       Component Version: 4.4.1
        Operating System: POSIX-Based
           Fixed Release: None
           Triage Status: None


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Follow-up Comments:


-------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu 05 Feb 2026 12:08:51 PM UTC By: Anonymous
Present in 4.4.1 (and git HEAD); not present in 4.3.

Looks like the --no-print-directory ends up after a " -- " in MAKEFLAGS if the
assigment is target-specific and there are command line overrides, and then it
is treated as a target. It doesn't happen if the += is global OR if there are
no overrides...


bad:
	$(MAKE) all foo=bar

good:
	$(MAKE) all

all: MAKEFLAGS += --no-print-directory
all:
	$(info MAKEFLAGS:<$(MAKEFLAGS)>)
	$(MAKE) nothing

nothing:;


$ make good
make all
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'
MAKEFLAGS:<--no-print-directory>
make nothing
make[2]: 'nothing' is up to date.
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'

$ make bad
make all foo=bar
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'
MAKEFLAGS:< -- foo=bar --no-print-directory>
make nothing
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'
make[2]: *** No rule to make target '--no-print-directory'.  Stop.
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'
make[1]: *** [Makefile:10: all] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'
make: *** [Makefile:2: bad] Error 2

Comparing with 4.3:

$ make4.3 bad
/home/x/make4.3 all foo=bar
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'
MAKEFLAGS:<w -- foo=bar --no-print-directory>
/home/x/make4.3 nothing
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'
make[2]: 'nothing' is up to date.
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/x/makeflagbug'








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