diff --git a/arch/arm/boot/Makefile b/arch/arm/boot/Makefile
index a3af4dc..0b3cd7a 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boot/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/boot/Makefile
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ targets := Image zImage xipImage bootpImage uImage
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_XIP_KERNEL),y)
 
 cmd_deflate_xip_data = $(CONFIG_SHELL) -c \
-	'$(srctree)/$(src)/deflate_xip_data.sh $< $@ || { rm -f $@; false; }'
+	'$(srctree)/$(src)/deflate_xip_data.sh $< $@'
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_XIP_DEFLATED_DATA),y)
 quiet_cmd_mkxip = XIPZ    $@
diff --git a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/Makefile b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/Makefile
index 01bf258..6114ae6 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/Makefile
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ check_for_bad_syms = \
 bad_syms=$$($(CROSS_COMPILE)nm $@ | sed -n 's/^.\{8\} [bc] \(.*\)/\1/p') && \
 [ -z "$$bad_syms" ] || \
   ( echo "following symbols must have non local/private scope:" >&2; \
-    echo "$$bad_syms" >&2; rm -f $@; false )
+    echo "$$bad_syms" >&2; false )
 
 check_for_multiple_zreladdr = \
 if [ $(words $(ZRELADDR)) -gt 1 -a "$(CONFIG_AUTO_ZRELADDR)" = "" ]; then \
diff --git a/arch/arm/tools/Makefile b/arch/arm/tools/Makefile
index ddb89a7..27d8beb 100644
--- a/arch/arm/tools/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/tools/Makefile
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ _dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)') \
 
 quiet_cmd_gen_mach = GEN     $@
       cmd_gen_mach = mkdir -p $(dir $@) && \
-		     $(AWK) -f $(filter-out $(PHONY),$^) > $@ || \
-		     { rm -f $@; /bin/false; }
+		     $(AWK) -f $(filter-out $(PHONY),$^) > $@
 
 $(kapi)/mach-types.h: $(src)/gen-mach-types $(src)/mach-types FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,gen_mach)
diff --git a/arch/sh/tools/Makefile b/arch/sh/tools/Makefile
index 2082af1..e5ba31c 100644
--- a/arch/sh/tools/Makefile
+++ b/arch/sh/tools/Makefile
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
 include/generated/machtypes.h: $(src)/gen-mach-types $(src)/mach-types
 	@echo '  Generating $@'
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(dir $@)
-	$(Q)LC_ALL=C $(AWK) -f $^ > $@ || { rm -f $@; /bin/false; }
+	$(Q)LC_ALL=C $(AWK) -f $^ > $@
diff --git a/arch/x86/boot/compressed/Makefile b/arch/x86/boot/compressed/Makefile
index 466f66c..f0515ac8 100644
--- a/arch/x86/boot/compressed/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/boot/compressed/Makefile
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ suffix-$(CONFIG_KERNEL_LZO) 	:= lzo
 suffix-$(CONFIG_KERNEL_LZ4) 	:= lz4
 
 quiet_cmd_mkpiggy = MKPIGGY $@
-      cmd_mkpiggy = $(obj)/mkpiggy $< > $@ || ( rm -f $@ ; false )
+      cmd_mkpiggy = $(obj)/mkpiggy $< > $@
 
 targets += piggy.S
 $(obj)/piggy.S: $(obj)/vmlinux.bin.$(suffix-y) $(obj)/mkpiggy FORCE
diff --git a/arch/x86/lib/Makefile b/arch/x86/lib/Makefile
index 25a972c..89d0f37 100644
--- a/arch/x86/lib/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/lib/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ KCOV_INSTRUMENT_delay.o	:= n
 inat_tables_script = $(srctree)/arch/x86/tools/gen-insn-attr-x86.awk
 inat_tables_maps = $(srctree)/arch/x86/lib/x86-opcode-map.txt
 quiet_cmd_inat_tables = GEN     $@
-      cmd_inat_tables = $(AWK) -f $(inat_tables_script) $(inat_tables_maps) > $@ || rm -f $@
+      cmd_inat_tables = $(AWK) -f $(inat_tables_script) $(inat_tables_maps) > $@
 
 $(obj)/inat-tables.c: $(inat_tables_script) $(inat_tables_maps)
 	$(call cmd,inat_tables)
diff --git a/certs/Makefile b/certs/Makefile
index 5d0999b..f4c25b6 100644
--- a/certs/Makefile
+++ b/certs/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ $(obj)/system_certificates.o: $(obj)/x509_certificate_list
 AFLAGS_system_certificates.o := -I$(srctree)
 
 quiet_cmd_extract_certs  = EXTRACT_CERTS   $(patsubst "%",%,$(2))
-      cmd_extract_certs  = scripts/extract-cert $(2) $@ || ( rm $@; exit 1)
+      cmd_extract_certs  = scripts/extract-cert $(2) $@
 
 targets += x509_certificate_list
 $(obj)/x509_certificate_list: scripts/extract-cert $(SYSTEM_TRUSTED_KEYS_SRCPREFIX)$(SYSTEM_TRUSTED_KEYS_FILENAME) FORCE
diff --git a/lib/raid6/Makefile b/lib/raid6/Makefile
index 7ed43ea..4e90d44 100644
--- a/lib/raid6/Makefile
+++ b/lib/raid6/Makefile
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ raid6_pq-$(CONFIG_S390) += s390vx8.o recov_s390xc.o
 hostprogs-y	+= mktables
 
 quiet_cmd_unroll = UNROLL  $@
-      cmd_unroll = $(AWK) -f$(srctree)/$(src)/unroll.awk -vN=$(UNROLL) \
-                   < $< > $@ || ( rm -f $@ && exit 1 )
+      cmd_unroll = $(AWK) -f$(srctree)/$(src)/unroll.awk -vN=$(UNROLL) < $< > $@
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_ALTIVEC),y)
 altivec_flags := -maltivec $(call cc-option,-mabi=altivec)
@@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ $(obj)/s390vx8.c:   $(src)/s390vx.uc $(src)/unroll.awk FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,unroll)
 
 quiet_cmd_mktable = TABLE   $@
-      cmd_mktable = $(obj)/mktables > $@ || ( rm -f $@ && exit 1 )
+      cmd_mktable = $(obj)/mktables > $@
 
 targets += tables.c
 $(obj)/tables.c: $(obj)/mktables FORCE
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.lib b/scripts/Makefile.lib
index d10c61e..390957f 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.lib
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.lib
@@ -242,8 +242,7 @@ cmd_objcopy = $(OBJCOPY) $(OBJCOPYFLAGS) $(OBJCOPYFLAGS_$(@F)) $< $@
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 quiet_cmd_gzip = GZIP    $@
-cmd_gzip = (cat $(filter-out FORCE,$^) | gzip -n -f -9 > $@) || \
-	(rm -f $@ ; false)
+      cmd_gzip = cat $(filter-out FORCE,$^) | gzip -n -f -9 > $@
 
 # DTC
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -336,26 +335,22 @@ printf "%08x\n" $$dec_size |						\
 
 quiet_cmd_bzip2 = BZIP2   $@
 cmd_bzip2 = (cat $(filter-out FORCE,$^) | \
-	bzip2 -9 && $(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@ || \
-	(rm -f $@ ; false)
+	bzip2 -9 && $(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@
 
 # Lzma
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 quiet_cmd_lzma = LZMA    $@
 cmd_lzma = (cat $(filter-out FORCE,$^) | \
-	lzma -9 && $(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@ || \
-	(rm -f $@ ; false)
+	lzma -9 && $(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@
 
 quiet_cmd_lzo = LZO     $@
 cmd_lzo = (cat $(filter-out FORCE,$^) | \
-	lzop -9 && $(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@ || \
-	(rm -f $@ ; false)
+	lzop -9 && $(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@
 
 quiet_cmd_lz4 = LZ4     $@
 cmd_lz4 = (cat $(filter-out FORCE,$^) | \
-	lz4c -l -c1 stdin stdout && $(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@ || \
-	(rm -f $@ ; false)
+	lz4c -l -c1 stdin stdout && $(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@
 
 # U-Boot mkimage
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -399,13 +394,11 @@ quiet_cmd_uimage = UIMAGE  $@
 quiet_cmd_xzkern = XZKERN  $@
 cmd_xzkern = (cat $(filter-out FORCE,$^) | \
 	sh $(srctree)/scripts/xz_wrap.sh && \
-	$(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@ || \
-	(rm -f $@ ; false)
+	$(call size_append, $(filter-out FORCE,$^))) > $@
 
 quiet_cmd_xzmisc = XZMISC  $@
 cmd_xzmisc = (cat $(filter-out FORCE,$^) | \
-	xz --check=crc32 --lzma2=dict=1MiB) > $@ || \
-	(rm -f $@ ; false)
+	xz --check=crc32 --lzma2=dict=1MiB) > $@
 
 # ASM offsets
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
