diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7feda7e79b..8956cace8e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2590,9 +2590,7 @@ missing_compdb_dir =
 compdb_args =
 endif
 
-C_OBJ := $(OBJECTS)
-
-$(C_OBJ): %.o: %.c GIT-CFLAGS $(missing_dep_dirs) $(missing_compdb_dir)
+$(OBJECTS): %.o: %.c GIT-CFLAGS $(missing_dep_dirs) $(missing_compdb_dir)
 	$(QUIET_CC)$(CC) -o $*.o -c $(dep_args) $(compdb_args) $(ALL_CFLAGS) $(EXTRA_CPPFLAGS) $<
 
 %.s: %.c GIT-CFLAGS FORCE
@@ -3084,7 +3082,7 @@ t/helper/test-%$X: t/helper/test-%.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS) $(REFTABLE_TEST_LIB)
 check-sha1:: t/helper/test-tool$X
 	t/helper/test-sha1.sh
 
-SP_OBJ = $(patsubst %.o,%.sp,$(C_OBJ))
+SP_OBJ = $(patsubst %.o,%.sp,$(OBJECTS))
 
 $(SP_OBJ): %.sp: %.c %.o
 	$(QUIET_SP)cgcc -no-compile $(ALL_CFLAGS) $(EXTRA_CPPFLAGS) \