diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3d60927..3e2b81f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1029,7 +1029,7 @@
 CLEAN_DIRS  += $(MODVERDIR)
 CLEAN_FILES +=	barebox System.map include/generated/barebox_default_env.h \
                 .tmp_version .tmp_barebox* barebox.bin barebox.map barebox.S \
-		.tmp_kallsyms* barebox_default_env* barebox.ldr \
+		.tmp_kallsyms* common/barebox_default_env* barebox.ldr \
 		scripts/bareboxenv-target barebox-flash-image \
 		Doxyfile.version barebox.srec barebox.s5p barebox.ubl \
 		barebox.uimage barebox.spi
diff --git a/common/Makefile b/common/Makefile
index 68582b7..b74c76b 100644
--- a/common/Makefile
+++ b/common/Makefile
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 obj-$(CONFIG_MODULES) += module.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_FLEXIBLE_BOOTARGS) += bootargs.o
 extra-$(CONFIG_MODULES) += module.lds
+extra-y += barebox_default_env
 
 ifdef CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT
 $(obj)/startup.o: include/generated/barebox_default_env.h
@@ -63,8 +64,19 @@
 
 endif # ifdef CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT
 
-barebox_default_env: $(ENV_FILES)
-	$(Q)$(srctree)/scripts/genenv $(srctree) $(objtree) $(DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH)
+#
+# Generate a barebox envfs image.
+#
+# echo $(ENV_FILES) > /dev/null is just for letting if_changed
+# recognize that something has changed when the environment has
+# other files,
+#
+quiet_cmd_env = ENV     $@
+cmd_env = ($(srctree)/scripts/genenv $(srctree) $(objtree) $@ $(DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH)) || \
+	(echo $(ENV_FILES) > /dev/null; rm -f $@ ; false)
+
+$(obj)/barebox_default_env: $(ENV_FILES) FORCE
+	$(call if_changed,env)
 
 barebox_default_env_comp =
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_COMPRESSED_GZIP),y)
@@ -77,22 +89,18 @@
 barebox_default_env_comp = .lzo
 endif
 
-barebox_default_env.gz: barebox_default_env
+$(obj)/barebox_default_env.gz: $(obj)/barebox_default_env
 	$(call if_changed,gzip)
 
-barebox_default_env.bz2: barebox_default_env
+$(obj)/barebox_default_env.bz2: $(obj)/barebox_default_env
 	$(call if_changed,bzip2)
 
-barebox_default_env.lzo: barebox_default_env
+$(obj)/barebox_default_env.lzo: $(obj)/barebox_default_env
 	$(call if_changed,lzo)
 
-include/generated/barebox_default_env.h: barebox_default_env$(barebox_default_env_comp)
-	$(Q)cat $< | $(objtree)/scripts/bin2c default_environment > $@
-	$(Q)echo "const int default_environment_uncompress_size=`stat -c%s barebox_default_env`;" >> $@
-
-CLEAN_FILES += include/generated/barebox_default_env.h barebox_default_env
-CLEAN_FILES += barebox_default_env.gz barebox_default_env.bz2
-CLEAN_FILES += barebox_default_env.lzo
+include/generated/barebox_default_env.h: $(obj)/barebox_default_env$(barebox_default_env_comp)
+	$(Q)cat $< | (cd $(obj) && $(objtree)/scripts/bin2c default_environment) > $@
+	$(Q)echo "const int default_environment_uncompress_size=`stat -c%s $(obj)/barebox_default_env`;" >> $@
 
 # dependencies on generated files need to be listed explicitly
 $(obj)/version.o: include/generated/compile.h
diff --git a/scripts/bareboxenv.c b/scripts/bareboxenv.c
index a4aec94..f44a1f8 100644
--- a/scripts/bareboxenv.c
+++ b/scripts/bareboxenv.c
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@
 		"options:\n"
 		"  -s        save (directory -> environment sector)\n"
 		"  -l        load (environment sector -> directory)\n"
-		"  -p <size> pad output file to given size\n",
+		"  -p <size> pad output file to given size\n"
+		"  -v        verbose\n",
 		prgname);
 }
 
@@ -139,8 +140,9 @@
 	int opt;
 	int save = 0, load = 0, pad = 0, fd;
 	char *filename = NULL, *dirname = NULL;
+	int verbose = 0;
 
-	while((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "slp:")) != -1) {
+	while((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "slp:v")) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 's':
 			save = 1;
@@ -151,6 +153,9 @@
 		case 'p':
 			pad = strtoul(optarg, NULL, 0);
 			break;
+		case 'v':
+			verbose = 1;
+			break;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -184,11 +189,13 @@
 	}
 
 	if (load) {
-		printf("loading env from file %s to %s\n", filename, dirname);
+		if (verbose)
+			printf("loading env from file %s to %s\n", filename, dirname);
 		envfs_load(filename, dirname);
 	}
 	if (save) {
-		printf("saving contents of %s to file %s\n", dirname, filename);
+		if (verbose)
+			printf("saving contents of %s to file %s\n", dirname, filename);
 		envfs_save(filename, dirname);
 	}
 	exit(0);
diff --git a/scripts/genenv b/scripts/genenv
index ff7972b..374db6d 100755
--- a/scripts/genenv
+++ b/scripts/genenv
@@ -1,15 +1,20 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 # Generate the default environment file from a list of directories
-# usage: genenv <basedir> <objdir> <dir>...
+# usage: genenv <basedir> <objdir> <target> <dir>...
 # where <basedir> is the base directory for relative pathes in <dir>
 # where <objdir> is the base directory for relative pathes for result
+# and <target> is the resulting binary environment
 objtree=$2
-cd $1 || exit 1
-shift 2
+basedir=$1
+target=$3
+shift 3
 
-tempdir=$(mktemp -d tmp.XXXXXX)
+tempdir="$objtree/.barebox_default_env"
 
+mkdir -p "$tempdir"
+
+(cd $basedir
 for i in $*; do
 	if [ -d $i ]; then
 		cp -r $i/* $tempdir
@@ -17,10 +22,10 @@
 		cp -a $i $tempdir
 	fi
 done
+)
 
 find $tempdir -name '.svn' -o -name '*~' | xargs --no-run-if-empty rm -r
 
-$objtree/scripts/bareboxenv -s $tempdir $objtree/barebox_default_env
+$objtree/scripts/bareboxenv -s $tempdir $target
 
 rm -r $tempdir
-