diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0331c182ed..1f93515677 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ ifneq ($(realpath $(SRC_PATH)),$(realpath .))
 ifneq ($(wildcard $(SRC_PATH)/config-host.mak),)
 $(error This is an out of tree build but your source tree ($(SRC_PATH)) \
 seems to have been used for an in-tree build. You can fix this by running \
-"make distclean && rm -rf *-linux-user *-softmmu" in your source tree)
+"$(MAKE) distclean && rm -rf *-linux-user *-softmmu" in your source tree)
 endif
 endif
 
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ endif
 	    else \
 	      echo "WARNING: $@ out of date.";\
 	    fi; \
-	    echo "Run \"make defconfig\" to regenerate."; \
+	    echo "Run \"$(MAKE) defconfig\" to regenerate."; \
 	    rm $@.tmp; \
 	  fi; \
 	 else \
@@ -934,4 +934,4 @@ ifdef QEMU_GA_MSI_ENABLED
 endif
 	@echo  ''
 endif
-	@echo  '  make V=0|1 [targets] 0 => quiet build (default), 1 => verbose build'
+	@echo  '  $(MAKE) V=0|1 [targets] 0 => quiet build (default), 1 => verbose build'
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.include b/tests/Makefile.include
index c002352134..b4bcc872f2 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/Makefile.include
@@ -3,21 +3,21 @@
 check-help:
 	@echo "Regression testing targets:"
 	@echo
-	@echo " make check                Run all tests"
-	@echo " make check-qtest-TARGET   Run qtest tests for given target"
-	@echo " make check-qtest          Run qtest tests"
-	@echo " make check-unit           Run qobject tests"
-	@echo " make check-speed          Run qobject speed tests"
-	@echo " make check-qapi-schema    Run QAPI schema tests"
-	@echo " make check-block          Run block tests"
-	@echo " make check-report.html    Generates an HTML test report"
-	@echo " make check-clean          Clean the tests"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check                Run all tests"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-qtest-TARGET   Run qtest tests for given target"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-qtest          Run qtest tests"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-unit           Run qobject tests"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-speed          Run qobject speed tests"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-qapi-schema    Run QAPI schema tests"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-block          Run block tests"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-report.html    Generates an HTML test report"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-clean          Clean the tests"
 	@echo
 	@echo "Please note that HTML reports do not regenerate if the unit tests"
 	@echo "has not changed."
 	@echo
 	@echo "The variable SPEED can be set to control the gtester speed setting."
-	@echo "Default options are -k and (for make V=1) --verbose; they can be"
+	@echo "Default options are -k and (for $(MAKE) V=1) --verbose; they can be"
 	@echo "changed with variable GTESTER_OPTIONS."
 
 ifneq ($(wildcard config-host.mak),)