diff --git a/tests/docker/Makefile.include b/tests/docker/Makefile.include
index 751151d7e9..9b4d1cf837 100644
--- a/tests/docker/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/docker/Makefile.include
@@ -9,26 +9,12 @@ COMMA := ,
 HOST_ARCH = $(if $(ARCH),$(ARCH),$(shell uname -m))
 
 DOCKER_FILES_DIR := $(SRC_PATH)/tests/docker/dockerfiles
-# we don't run tests on intermediate images (used as base by another image)
-DOCKER_PARTIAL_IMAGES := debian10 debian11
-# we don't directly build virtual images (they are used to build other images)
-DOCKER_VIRTUAL_IMAGES := debian-bootstrap debian-toolchain
-__IMAGES := $(sort $(filter-out $(DOCKER_VIRTUAL_IMAGES), $(notdir $(basename $(wildcard $(DOCKER_FILES_DIR)/*.docker)))))
-DOCKER_IMAGES := $(if $(IMAGES), $(filter $(IMAGES), $(__IMAGES)), $(__IMAGES))
-DOCKER_TARGETS := $(patsubst %,docker-image-%,$(DOCKER_IMAGES))
-# Use a global constant ccache directory to speed up repetitive builds
-DOCKER_CCACHE_DIR := $$HOME/.cache/qemu-docker-ccache
 ifeq ($(HOST_ARCH),x86_64)
 DOCKER_DEFAULT_REGISTRY := registry.gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu
 endif
 DOCKER_REGISTRY := $(if $(REGISTRY),$(REGISTRY),$(DOCKER_DEFAULT_REGISTRY))
 
-__TESTS := $(notdir $(shell \
-		find $(SRC_PATH)/tests/docker/ -name 'test-*' -type f))
-DOCKER_TESTS := $(if $(TESTS), $(filter $(TESTS), $(__TESTS)), $(__TESTS))
-
 ENGINE := auto
-
 DOCKER_SCRIPT=$(SRC_PATH)/tests/docker/docker.py --engine $(ENGINE)
 
 CUR_TIME := $(shell date +%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S.$$$$)
@@ -47,8 +33,6 @@ $(DOCKER_SRC_COPY):
 
 docker-qemu-src: $(DOCKER_SRC_COPY)
 
-docker-image: ${DOCKER_TARGETS}
-
 # General rule for building docker images. If we are a sub-make
 # invoked with SKIP_DOCKER_BUILD we still check the image is up to date
 # though
@@ -96,6 +80,8 @@ docker-binfmt-image-debian-%: $(DOCKER_FILES_DIR)/debian-bootstrap.docker
 endif
 
 # Enforce dependencies for composite images
+# we don't run tests on intermediate images (used as base by another image)
+DOCKER_PARTIAL_IMAGES := debian10 debian11
 ifeq ($(HOST_ARCH),x86_64)
 docker-image-debian-amd64: docker-image-debian10
 DOCKER_PARTIAL_IMAGES += debian-amd64-cross
@@ -205,6 +191,15 @@ DOCKER_PARTIAL_IMAGES += debian-tricore-cross
 DOCKER_PARTIAL_IMAGES += debian-xtensa-cross
 DOCKER_PARTIAL_IMAGES += fedora-cris-cross
 
+# images that are only used to build other images
+DOCKER_VIRTUAL_IMAGES := debian-bootstrap debian-toolchain
+
+__IMAGES := $(sort $(filter-out $(DOCKER_VIRTUAL_IMAGES), $(notdir $(basename $(wildcard $(DOCKER_FILES_DIR)/*.docker)))))
+DOCKER_IMAGES := $(if $(IMAGES), $(filter $(IMAGES), $(__IMAGES)), $(__IMAGES))
+
+__TESTS := $(notdir $(shell find $(SRC_PATH)/tests/docker/ -name 'test-*' -type f))
+DOCKER_TESTS := $(if $(TESTS), $(filter $(TESTS), $(__TESTS)), $(__TESTS))
+
 # Expand all the pre-requistes for each docker image and test combination
 $(foreach i,$(filter-out $(DOCKER_PARTIAL_IMAGES) $(DOCKER_VIRTUAL_IMAGES),$(DOCKER_IMAGES)), \
 	$(foreach t,$(DOCKER_TESTS), \
@@ -263,6 +258,9 @@ docker:
 
 docker-help: docker
 
+# Use a global constant ccache directory to speed up repetitive builds
+DOCKER_CCACHE_DIR := $$HOME/.cache/qemu-docker-ccache
+
 # This rule if for directly running against an arbitrary docker target.
 # It is called by the expanded docker targets (e.g. make
 # docker-test-foo@bar) which will do additional verification.
@@ -308,5 +306,7 @@ docker-run-%: IMAGE = $(shell echo '$@' | sed -e 's/docker-run-\([^@]*\)@\(.*\)/
 docker-run-%:
 	@$(MAKE) docker-run TEST=$(CMD) IMAGE=qemu/$(IMAGE)
 
+docker-image: ${DOCKER_IMAGES:%=docker-image-%}
+
 docker-clean:
 	$(call quiet-command, $(DOCKER_SCRIPT) clean)