diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 2956e2c93e..14bb2ead5c 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -225,6 +225,11 @@ all: $(SHOWFLAGS) main docs
 main: $(SHOWFLAGS) exts $(ENCSTATIC:static=lib)encs
 	@$(NULLCMD)
 
+main: $(srcdir)/lib/mjit/instruction.rb
+$(srcdir)/lib/mjit/instruction.rb: $(tooldir)/ruby_vm/views/lib/mjit/instruction.rb.erb $(srcdir)/insns.def
+	$(ECHO) generating $@
+	$(Q) $(BASERUBY) -Ku $(tooldir)/insns2vm.rb --basedir="$(srcdir)" $(INSNS2VMOPT) $@
+
 mjit-headers: $(MJIT_SUPPORT)-mjit-headers
 no-mjit-headers: PHONY
 yes-mjit-headers: mjit_config.h PHONY
diff --git a/template/Makefile.in b/template/Makefile.in
index 7e12efabb7..1a7843edb6 100644
--- a/template/Makefile.in
+++ b/template/Makefile.in
@@ -504,11 +504,6 @@ clean-local::
 	$(Q)$(RM) -r mjit_build_dir.*
 	-$(Q) $(RMDIRS) $(MJIT_HEADER_INSTALL_DIR) $(MJIT_HEADER_BUILD_DIR) $(TIMESTAMPDIR) 2> $(NULL) || $(NULLCMD)
 
-main: $(srcdir)/lib/mjit/instruction.rb
-$(srcdir)/lib/mjit/instruction.rb: $(tooldir)/ruby_vm/views/lib/mjit/instruction.rb.erb $(srcdir)/insns.def
-	$(ECHO) generating $@
-	$(Q) $(BASERUBY) -Ku $(tooldir)/insns2vm.rb --basedir="$(srcdir)" $(INSNS2VMOPT) $@
-
 # DTrace static library hacks described here:
 # https://marc.info/?l=opensolaris-dtrace-discuss&m=114761203110734&w=4
 ruby-glommed.$(OBJEXT):