diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9469c24421e..fa9ca8d5eea 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -57,20 +57,15 @@ deps: go_check gx_check path_check
 vendor: godep
 	godep save -r ./...
 
-install: deps
-	make -C cmd/ipfs install
-
-build: deps
-	make -C cmd/ipfs build
-
-nofuse: deps
-	make -C cmd/ipfs nofuse
+install build nofuse: deps
+	$(MAKE) -C cmd/ipfs $@
 
 clean:
-	make -C cmd/ipfs clean
+	$(MAKE) -C cmd/ipfs clean
+	$(MAKE) -C test clean
 
 uninstall:
-	make -C cmd/ipfs uninstall
+	$(MAKE) -C cmd/ipfs uninstall
 
 PHONY += all help godep gx_check
 PHONY += go_check deps vendor install build nofuse clean uninstall
@@ -97,16 +92,16 @@ test_go_race:
 	$(go_test) ./... -race
 
 test_sharness_short:
-	make -C test/sharness/
+	$(MAKE) -j1 -C test/sharness/
 
 test_sharness_expensive:
-	TEST_EXPENSIVE=1 make -C test/sharness/
+	TEST_EXPENSIVE=1 $(MAKE) -j1 -C test/sharness/
 
 test_all_commits:
 	@echo "testing all commits between origin/master..HEAD"
 	@echo "WARNING: this will 'git rebase --exec'."
 	@test/bin/continueyn
-	GIT_EDITOR=true git rebase -i --exec "make test" origin/master
+	GIT_EDITOR=true git rebase -i --exec "$(MAKE) test" origin/master
 
 test_all_commits_travis:
 	# these are needed because travis.
@@ -114,12 +109,12 @@ test_all_commits_travis:
 	git config --global user.email "nemo@ipfs.io"
 	git config --global user.name "IPFS BOT"
 	git fetch origin master:master
-	GIT_EDITOR=true git rebase -i --exec "make test" master
+	GIT_EDITOR=true git rebase -i --exec "$(MAKE) test" master
 
 # since we have CI for osx and linux but not windows, this should help
 windows_build_check:
 	GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64 go build -o .test.ipfs.exe ./cmd/ipfs
-	rm .test.ipfs.exe
+	rm -f .test.ipfs.exe
 
 PHONY += test test_short test_expensive
 
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 1408d0c4921..9ebee7afbdc 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -15,12 +15,13 @@ GOFLAGS =
 all: deps
 
 global-deps:
-	make -C .. deps
+	$(MAKE) -C .. deps
 
 deps: global-deps bins
 
 clean:
-	rm $(BINS)
+	$(MAKE) -C sharness clean
+	rm -rf $(BINS)
 
 bins: $(BINS)
 
@@ -71,18 +72,18 @@ bin/iptb: iptb_src $(call find_go_files, $(IPTB_SRC)) IPFS-BUILD-OPTIONS
 test: test_expensive
 
 test_expensive: verify_gofmt
-	cd sharness && make TEST_EXPENSIVE=1
-	cd 3nodetest && make
-	cd dependencies && make
+	$(MAKE) -C sharness TEST_EXPENSIVE=1
+	$(MAKE) -C 3nodetest
+	$(MAKE) -C dependencies
 
 test_cheap: verify_gofmt
-	cd sharness && make
-	cd 3nodetest && make
+	$(MAKE) -C sharness
+	$(MAKE) -C 3nodetest
 
 test_race: verify_gofmt
-	cd sharness && make GOFLAGS=-race TEST_EXPENSIVE=1
-	cd 3nodetest && make GOFLAGS=-race
-	cd dependencies && make GOFLAGS=-race
+	$(MAKE) -C sharness GOFLAGS=-race TEST_EXPENSIVE=1
+	$(MAKE) -C 3nodetest GOFLAGS=-race
+	$(MAKE) -C dependencies GOFLAGS=-race
 
 # Misc
 
diff --git a/test/sharness/Makefile b/test/sharness/Makefile
index 4e6d2a940f8..7a691c6d421 100644
--- a/test/sharness/Makefile
+++ b/test/sharness/Makefile
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ all: aggregate
 
 clean: clean-test-results
 	@echo "*** $@ ***"
-	-rm -rf $(BINS)
+	rm -rf $(BINS)
 
 clean-test-results:
 	@echo "*** $@ ***"
-	-rm -rf test-results
+	rm -rf test-results
 
 $(T): clean-test-results deps
 	@echo "*** $@ ***"
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ aggregate: clean-test-results $(T)
 	lib/test-aggregate-results.sh
 
 global-deps:
-	make -C ../.. deps
+	$(MAKE) -C ../.. deps
 
 deps: global-deps $(SHARNESS) $(BINS) curl
 
@@ -43,10 +43,10 @@ $(SHARNESS): FORCE
 	lib/install-sharness.sh
 
 bin/%: FORCE
-	cd .. && make GOFLAGS=$(GOFLAGS) $@
+	$(MAKE) -C .. GOFLAGS=$(GOFLAGS) $@
 
 race:
-	make GOFLAGS=-race all
+	$(MAKE) GOFLAGS=-race all
 
 .PHONY: all clean $(T) aggregate FORCE