diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d9a3040f31..1851f8c535 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -444,6 +444,7 @@ SOFTMMU_SUBDIR_RULES=$(filter %-softmmu,$(SUBDIR_RULES))
 
 $(SOFTMMU_SUBDIR_RULES): $(authz-obj-y)
 $(SOFTMMU_SUBDIR_RULES): $(block-obj-y)
+$(SOFTMMU_SUBDIR_RULES): $(chardev-obj-y)
 $(SOFTMMU_SUBDIR_RULES): $(crypto-obj-y)
 $(SOFTMMU_SUBDIR_RULES): $(io-obj-y)
 $(SOFTMMU_SUBDIR_RULES): config-all-devices.mak
@@ -480,7 +481,7 @@ subdir-capstone: .git-submodule-status
 subdir-slirp: .git-submodule-status
 	$(call quiet-command,$(MAKE) -C $(SRC_PATH)/slirp BUILD_DIR="$(BUILD_DIR)/slirp" CC="$(CC)" AR="$(AR)" LD="$(LD)" RANLIB="$(RANLIB)" CFLAGS="$(QEMU_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS)" LDFLAGS="$(LDFLAGS)")
 
-$(SUBDIR_RULES): libqemuutil.a $(common-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y) \
+$(SUBDIR_RULES): libqemuutil.a $(common-obj-y) \
 	$(qom-obj-y) $(crypto-aes-obj-$(CONFIG_USER_ONLY))
 
 ROMSUBDIR_RULES=$(patsubst %,romsubdir-%, $(ROMS))
diff --git a/Makefile.objs b/Makefile.objs
index dda5bbc910..43c9e45032 100644
--- a/Makefile.objs
+++ b/Makefile.objs
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ trace-events-subdirs += accel/kvm
 trace-events-subdirs += accel/tcg
 trace-events-subdirs += authz
 trace-events-subdirs += block
-trace-events-subdirs += chardev
 trace-events-subdirs += crypto
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_SOFTMMU),y)
+trace-events-subdirs += chardev
 trace-events-subdirs += audio
 trace-events-subdirs += hw/9pfs
 trace-events-subdirs += hw/acpi