diff --git a/tools/lib/traceevent/Makefile b/tools/lib/traceevent/Makefile
index 76fe0aeb874e..f778d48ac609 100644
--- a/tools/lib/traceevent/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lib/traceevent/Makefile
@@ -329,9 +329,12 @@ clean:
 
 endif # skip-makefile
 
-PHONY += force
+PHONY += force plugins
 force:
 
+plugins:
+	@echo > /dev/null
+
 # Declare the contents of the .PHONY variable as phony.  We keep that
 # information in a variable so we can use it in if_changed and friends.
 .PHONY: $(PHONY)