diff --git a/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild b/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
index 0af467de47..35be94e4a3 100644
--- a/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
+++ b/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ bootloader: $(BOOTLOADER_BIN)
 
 ESPTOOL_ALL_FLASH_ARGS += $(BOOTLOADER_OFFSET) $(BOOTLOADER_BIN)
 
-bootloader-flash: $(BOOTLOADER_BIN) | erase_flash
+bootloader-flash: $(BOOTLOADER_BIN) $(call prereq_if_explicit,erase_flash)
 	$(ESPTOOLPY_WRITE_FLASH) 0x1000 $^
 
 else ifdef CONFIG_SECURE_BOOTLOADER_ONE_TIME_FLASH
diff --git a/components/esptool_py/Makefile.projbuild b/components/esptool_py/Makefile.projbuild
index d00158c7f9..b5992a4d96 100644
--- a/components/esptool_py/Makefile.projbuild
+++ b/components/esptool_py/Makefile.projbuild
@@ -43,14 +43,14 @@ APP_BIN_UNSIGNED ?= $(APP_BIN)
 $(APP_BIN_UNSIGNED): $(APP_ELF) $(ESPTOOLPY_SRC)
 	$(ESPTOOLPY) elf2image $(ESPTOOL_FLASH_OPTIONS) $(ESPTOOL_ELF2IMAGE_OPTIONS) -o $@ $<
 
-flash: all_binaries $(ESPTOOLPY_SRC) | erase_flash
+flash: all_binaries $(ESPTOOLPY_SRC) $(call prereq_if_explicit,erase_flash)
 	@echo "Flashing binaries to serial port $(ESPPORT) (app at offset $(CONFIG_APP_OFFSET))..."
 ifdef CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_ENABLED
 	@echo "(Secure boot enabled, so bootloader not flashed automatically. See 'make bootloader' output)"
 endif
 	$(ESPTOOLPY_WRITE_FLASH) $(ESPTOOL_ALL_FLASH_ARGS)
 
-app-flash: $(APP_BIN) $(ESPTOOLPY_SRC) | erase_flash
+app-flash: $(APP_BIN) $(ESPTOOLPY_SRC) $(call prereq_if_explicit,erase_flash)
 	@echo "Flashing app to serial port $(ESPPORT), offset $(CONFIG_APP_OFFSET)..."
 	$(ESPTOOLPY_WRITE_FLASH) $(CONFIG_APP_OFFSET) $(APP_BIN)
 
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ app-flash: $(APP_BIN) $(ESPTOOLPY_SRC) | erase_flash
 # at the project level as long as qualified path
 COMPONENT_SUBMODULES += $(COMPONENT_PATH)/esptool
 
-.PHONY: erase_flash
 erase_flash:
 	@echo "Erasing entire flash..."
 	$(ESPTOOLPY_SERIAL) erase_flash
+
+.PHONY: erase_flash
diff --git a/make/common.mk b/make/common.mk
index c0487d2737..605b8ab862 100644
--- a/make/common.mk
+++ b/make/common.mk
@@ -54,3 +54,17 @@ endef
 define resolvepath
 $(foreach dir,$(1),$(if $(filter /%,$(dir)),$(dir),$(subst //,/,$(2)/$(dir))))
 endef
+
+
+# macro to include a target only if it's on the list of targets that make
+# was invoked with
+#
+# This allows you to have something like an "order-only phony prerequisite",
+# ie a prerequisite that determines an order phony targets have to run in.
+#
+# Because normal order-only prerequisites don't work with phony targets.
+#
+# example $(call prereq_if_explicit,erase_flash)
+define prereq_if_explicit
+$(filter $(1),$(MAKECMDGOALS))
+endef
diff --git a/make/project_config.mk b/make/project_config.mk
index a32c74a380..187d1ac282 100644
--- a/make/project_config.mk
+++ b/make/project_config.mk
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ menuconfig: $(KCONFIG_TOOL_DIR)/mconf $(IDF_PATH)/Kconfig
 	$(KCONFIG_TOOL_ENV) $(KCONFIG_TOOL_DIR)/mconf $(IDF_PATH)/Kconfig
 
 ifeq ("$(wildcard $(SDKCONFIG))","")
-ifeq ("$(filter defconfig,$(MAKECMDGOALS))","")
+ifeq ("$(call prereq_if_explicit,defconfig)","")
 # if not configuration is present and defconfig is not a target, run makeconfig
 $(SDKCONFIG): menuconfig
 else