diff --git a/GNUmakefile.in b/GNUmakefile.in
index 361897a80b..ba39bf1330 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile.in
+++ b/GNUmakefile.in
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ distclean maintainer-clean:
 # Garbage from autoconf:
 	@rm -rf autom4te.cache/
 
-check check-tests: all
-
 check check-tests installcheck installcheck-parallel installcheck-tests:
 	$(MAKE) -C src/test/regress $@
 
diff --git a/contrib/test_decoding/Makefile b/contrib/test_decoding/Makefile
index 656eabfa00..a362e69691 100644
--- a/contrib/test_decoding/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/test_decoding/Makefile
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ submake-test_decoding:
 REGRESSCHECKS=ddl rewrite toast permissions decoding_in_xact decoding_into_rel \
 	binary prepared replorigin
 
-regresscheck: all | submake-regress submake-test_decoding temp-install
+regresscheck: | submake-regress submake-test_decoding temp-install
 	$(MKDIR_P) regression_output
 	$(pg_regress_check) \
 	    --temp-config $(top_srcdir)/contrib/test_decoding/logical.conf \
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ regresscheck-install-force: | submake-regress submake-test_decoding temp-install
 
 ISOLATIONCHECKS=mxact delayed_startup ondisk_startup concurrent_ddl_dml
 
-isolationcheck: all | submake-isolation submake-test_decoding temp-install
+isolationcheck: | submake-isolation submake-test_decoding temp-install
 	$(MKDIR_P) isolation_output
 	$(pg_isolation_regress_check) \
 	    --temp-config $(top_srcdir)/contrib/test_decoding/logical.conf \
diff --git a/src/Makefile.global.in b/src/Makefile.global.in
index 81cae942d9..a0fe8e43eb 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.global.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.global.in
@@ -308,10 +308,9 @@ check: temp-install
 temp-install:
 ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 	rm -rf '$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install
-	$(MKDIR_P) '$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log
-	$(MAKE) -C '$(top_builddir)' DESTDIR='$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install install >'$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log/install.log 2>&1
+	$(MAKE) -C '$(top_builddir)' DESTDIR='$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install install
 endif
-	$(if $(EXTRA_INSTALL),for extra in $(EXTRA_INSTALL); do $(MAKE) -C '$(top_builddir)'/$$extra DESTDIR='$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install install >>'$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log/install.log 2>&1 || exit; done)
+	$(if $(EXTRA_INSTALL),for extra in $(EXTRA_INSTALL); do $(MAKE) -C '$(top_builddir)'/$$extra DESTDIR='$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install install || exit; done)
 
 PROVE = @PROVE@
 PG_PROVE_FLAGS = -I $(top_srcdir)/src/test/perl/
diff --git a/src/bin/initdb/Makefile b/src/bin/initdb/Makefile
index fc809a0706..d4797880dd 100644
--- a/src/bin/initdb/Makefile
+++ b/src/bin/initdb/Makefile
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ clean distclean maintainer-clean:
 # ensure that changes in datadir propagate into object file
 initdb.o: initdb.c $(top_builddir)/src/Makefile.global
 
-check: all
+check:
 	$(prove_check)
 
 installcheck:
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/Makefile b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/Makefile
index 58f8b66494..0d8421a71e 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/Makefile
+++ b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/Makefile
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ clean distclean maintainer-clean:
 		$(OBJS)
 	rm -rf tmp_check
 
-check: all
+check:
 	$(prove_check)
 
 installcheck:
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_config/Makefile b/src/bin/pg_config/Makefile
index 71ce236b9e..dbc98990fb 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_config/Makefile
+++ b/src/bin/pg_config/Makefile
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ clean distclean maintainer-clean:
 	rm -f pg_config$(X) $(OBJS)
 	rm -rf tmp_check
 
-check: all
+check:
 	$(prove_check)
 
 installcheck:
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_controldata/Makefile b/src/bin/pg_controldata/Makefile
index f7a4010bf8..fd7399ba98 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_controldata/Makefile
+++ b/src/bin/pg_controldata/Makefile
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ clean distclean maintainer-clean:
 	rm -f pg_controldata$(X) $(OBJS)
 	rm -rf tmp_check
 
-check: all
+check:
 	$(prove_check)
 
 installcheck:
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_ctl/Makefile b/src/bin/pg_ctl/Makefile
index 525e1d4750..37eb482a5c 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_ctl/Makefile
+++ b/src/bin/pg_ctl/Makefile
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ clean distclean maintainer-clean:
 	rm -f pg_ctl$(X) $(OBJS)
 	rm -rf tmp_check
 
-check: all
+check:
 	$(prove_check)
 
 installcheck:
diff --git a/src/bin/scripts/Makefile b/src/bin/scripts/Makefile
index 8b6f54ccee..c8317164f8 100644
--- a/src/bin/scripts/Makefile
+++ b/src/bin/scripts/Makefile
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ clean distclean maintainer-clean:
 	rm -f dumputils.c print.c mbprint.c kwlookup.c keywords.c
 	rm -rf tmp_check
 
-check: all
+check:
 	$(prove_check)
 
 installcheck:
diff --git a/src/interfaces/ecpg/Makefile b/src/interfaces/ecpg/Makefile
index b80de4e247..41460a17c9 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/ecpg/Makefile
+++ b/src/interfaces/ecpg/Makefile
@@ -26,5 +26,5 @@ install-ecpglib-recurse: install-pgtypeslib-recurse
 clean distclean maintainer-clean:
 	$(MAKE) -C test clean
 
-check checktcp installcheck: all
+check checktcp installcheck:
 	$(MAKE) -C test $@
diff --git a/src/makefiles/pgxs.mk b/src/makefiles/pgxs.mk
index 08e25da723..b511372684 100644
--- a/src/makefiles/pgxs.mk
+++ b/src/makefiles/pgxs.mk
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ check:
 	@echo '"$(MAKE) check" is not supported.'
 	@echo 'Do "$(MAKE) install", then "$(MAKE) installcheck" instead.'
 else
-check: all submake $(REGRESS_PREP)
+check: submake $(REGRESS_PREP)
 	$(pg_regress_check) $(REGRESS_OPTS) $(REGRESS)
 
 temp-install: EXTRA_INSTALL+=$(subdir)
diff --git a/src/pl/plperl/GNUmakefile b/src/pl/plperl/GNUmakefile
index cebffde79d..904a320cf6 100644
--- a/src/pl/plperl/GNUmakefile
+++ b/src/pl/plperl/GNUmakefile
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ uninstall-data:
 .PHONY: install-data uninstall-data
 
 
-check: all submake
+check: submake
 	$(pg_regress_check) $(REGRESS_OPTS) $(REGRESS)
 
 installcheck: submake
diff --git a/src/pl/plpython/Makefile b/src/pl/plpython/Makefile
index e70e285611..de97cbb780 100644
--- a/src/pl/plpython/Makefile
+++ b/src/pl/plpython/Makefile
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ uninstall-data:
 include $(srcdir)/regress-python3-mangle.mk
 
 
-check: all submake
+check: submake
 	$(pg_regress_check) $(REGRESS_OPTS) $(REGRESS)
 
 installcheck: submake
diff --git a/src/pl/tcl/Makefile b/src/pl/tcl/Makefile
index 851e3c063f..533d3b4efd 100644
--- a/src/pl/tcl/Makefile
+++ b/src/pl/tcl/Makefile
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ uninstall-data:
 .PHONY: install-data uninstall-data
 
 
-check: all submake
+check: submake
 	$(pg_regress_check) $(REGRESS_OPTS) $(REGRESS)
 
 installcheck: submake