diff --git a/builds/ansi/ansi-def.mk b/builds/ansi/ansi-def.mk
index 3a3525531..9533a2842 100644
--- a/builds/ansi/ansi-def.mk
+++ b/builds/ansi/ansi-def.mk
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ L := -l
 
 # Target flag.
 #
-T := -o # Don't remove this comment line!  We need the space after `-o'.
+T := -o$(space)
 
 
 # C flags
diff --git a/builds/compiler/ansi-cc.mk b/builds/compiler/ansi-cc.mk
index 3e4a1254e..3935ee527 100644
--- a/builds/compiler/ansi-cc.mk
+++ b/builds/compiler/ansi-cc.mk
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ L := -l
 
 # Target flag.
 #
-T := -o # Don't remove this comment line!  We need the space after `-o'.
+T := -o$(space)
 
 
 # C flags
diff --git a/builds/compiler/gcc-dev.mk b/builds/compiler/gcc-dev.mk
index c03b29b8f..e26ba16ac 100644
--- a/builds/compiler/gcc-dev.mk
+++ b/builds/compiler/gcc-dev.mk
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ L := -l
 
 # Target flag.
 #
-T := -o # Don't remove this comment line!  We need the space after `-o'.
+T := -o$(space)
 
 
 # C flags
diff --git a/builds/compiler/gcc.mk b/builds/compiler/gcc.mk
index 8fb4a961f..54d9696d6 100644
--- a/builds/compiler/gcc.mk
+++ b/builds/compiler/gcc.mk
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ L := -l
 
 # Target flag.
 #
-T := -o # Don't remove this comment line!  We need the space after `-o'.
+T := -o$(space)
 
 
 # C flags
diff --git a/builds/compiler/unix-lcc.mk b/builds/compiler/unix-lcc.mk
index 27394fc76..f4046de1a 100644
--- a/builds/compiler/unix-lcc.mk
+++ b/builds/compiler/unix-lcc.mk
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ L := -l
 
 # Target flag.
 #
-T := -o # don't remove this comment, we need a trailing space !!
+T := -o$(space)
 
 
 # C flags
diff --git a/builds/os2/os2-dev.mk b/builds/os2/os2-dev.mk
index d6871ed8e..0df4bbc0c 100644
--- a/builds/os2/os2-dev.mk
+++ b/builds/os2/os2-dev.mk
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ L := -l
 
 # Target flag.
 #
-T := -o # Don't remove this comment line!  We need the space after `-o'.
+T := -o$(space)
 
 
 # C flags
diff --git a/builds/os2/os2-gcc.mk b/builds/os2/os2-gcc.mk
index 4a835f844..2bed13304 100644
--- a/builds/os2/os2-gcc.mk
+++ b/builds/os2/os2-gcc.mk
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ L := -l
 
 # Target flag.
 #
-T := -o # Don't remove this comment line!  We need the space after `-o'.
+T := -o$(space)
 
 
 # C flags
diff --git a/builds/toplevel.mk b/builds/toplevel.mk
index 58c0e1679..478b8250b 100644
--- a/builds/toplevel.mk
+++ b/builds/toplevel.mk
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@
 
 .PHONY: setup
 
+# The `space' variable is used to avoid trailing spaces in defining the
+# `T' variable later.
+#
+empty :=
+space := $(empty) $(empty)
+
+
 ifndef CONFIG_MK
   CONFIG_MK := config.mk
 endif