diff --git a/include/host-build.mk b/include/host-build.mk
index 246f248e26e..7e64fc16fe3 100644
--- a/include/host-build.mk
+++ b/include/host-build.mk
@@ -110,11 +110,11 @@ define Host/Compile/Default
 endef
 
 define Host/Compile
-  $(call Host/Compile/Default)
+  $(call Host/Compile/Default,$(if $(PKG_SUBDIRS),SUBDIRS='$$$$(wildcard $(PKG_SUBDIRS))'))
 endef
 
 define Host/Install/Default
-	$(call Host/Compile/Default,install)
+  $(call Host/Compile/Default,$(if $(PKG_SUBDIRS),SUBDIRS='$$$$(wildcard $(PKG_SUBDIRS))') install)
 endef
 
 define Host/Install
diff --git a/include/package-defaults.mk b/include/package-defaults.mk
index 37de9f0ccba..6a401dde2c9 100644
--- a/include/package-defaults.mk
+++ b/include/package-defaults.mk
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ define Build/Install/Default
 	$(MAKE_VARS) \
 	$(MAKE) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/$(MAKE_PATH) \
 		$(MAKE_INSTALL_FLAGS) \
+		$(if $(PKG_SUBDIRS),SUBDIRS='$$$$(wildcard $(PKG_SUBDIRS))') \
 		$(if $(1), $(1), install);
 endef
 
diff --git a/include/package.mk b/include/package.mk
index 8ee78415df2..7fbecf98dc7 100644
--- a/include/package.mk
+++ b/include/package.mk
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ endef
 
 Build/Prepare=$(call Build/Prepare/Default,)
 Build/Configure=$(call Build/Configure/Default,)
-Build/Compile=$(call Build/Compile/Default,)
+Build/Compile=$(call Build/Compile/Default,$(if $(PKG_SUBDIRS),SUBDIRS='$$$$(wildcard $(PKG_SUBDIRS))'))
 Build/Install=$(if $(PKG_INSTALL),$(call Build/Install/Default,))
 Build/Dist=$(call Build/Dist/Default,)
 Build/DistCheck=$(call Build/DistCheck/Default,)