http://www.mail-archive.com/dev@apr.apache.org/msg25738.html

--- apr-1.5.1/Makefile.in
+++ apr-1.5.1/Makefile.in
@@ -129,11 +129,11 @@
 etags:
 	etags `find . -name '*.[ch]'`
 
-make_tools_dir:
+OBJECTS_gen_test_char = tools/gen_test_char.lo $(LOCAL_LIBS)
+tools/gen_test_char.lo: tools/gen_test_char.c
 	$(APR_MKDIR) tools
+	$(LT_COMPILE)
 
-OBJECTS_gen_test_char = tools/gen_test_char.lo $(LOCAL_LIBS)
-tools/gen_test_char.lo: make_tools_dir
 tools/gen_test_char@EXEEXT@: $(OBJECTS_gen_test_char)
 	$(LINK_PROG) $(OBJECTS_gen_test_char) $(ALL_LIBS)