diff -ru a/bdb/Makefile b/bdb/Makefile
--- a/bdb/Makefile	2024-06-05 17:06:40.098823516 -0000
+++ b/bdb/Makefile	2024-06-05 17:06:45.520796235 -0000
@@ -23,9 +23,14 @@
 #*---------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 #*    Booting bdb on a bare system                                     */
 #*---------------------------------------------------------------------*/
-boot:
-	@ (cd blib; $(MAKE) all)
-	@ (cd bdb; $(MAKE) MODE=final mode)
+boot: blip-boot bdb-boot
+
+blip-boot:
+	@ $(MAKE) -C bdb MODE=final mode
+
+bdb-boot: blip-boot
+	@ $(MAKE) -C blib all
+
 
 #*---------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 #*    Populating bdb                                                   */
diff -ru a/bdb/blib/Makefile b/bdb/blib/Makefile
--- a/bdb/blib/Makefile	2024-06-05 17:06:40.100823506 -0000
+++ b/bdb/blib/Makefile	2024-06-05 17:07:40.738518401 -0000
@@ -80,9 +80,11 @@
 #*    The implicit rules                                               */
 #*---------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 objs/%.o: %.scm
+	mkdir -p $(CLASS_DIR)
 	$(BIGLOO) -no-hello $(BDBFLAGS) -copt $(CPICFLAGS) $< -o $@ -c
 
 objs/%.o: %.c
+	mkdir -p $(CLASS_DIR)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CPICFLAGS) -I. -I $(LIB) $< -o $@ -c
 
 $(CLASS_DIR)/%.class: %.scm