diff --git a/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild b/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
index 18101b2a51..63c77ed72f 100644
--- a/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
+++ b/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
@@ -17,21 +17,17 @@ BOOTLOADER_BIN=$(BOOTLOADER_BUILD_DIR)/bootloader.bin
 
 $(BOOTLOADER_BIN): $(COMPONENT_PATH)/src/sdkconfig
 	$(Q) PROJECT_PATH= \
-	COMPONENT_LDFLAGS= \
-	COMPONENT_INCLUDES= \
 	LDFLAGS= \
 	CFLAGS= \
 	BUILD_DIR_BASE=$(BOOTLOADER_BUILD_DIR) \
-	make -C $(BOOTLOADER_COMPONENT_PATH)/src MAKEFLAGS= V=$(V) TARGET_BIN_LAYOUT="$(BOOTLOADER_TARGET_BIN_LAYOUT)" $(BOOTLOADER_BIN)
+	$(MAKE) -C $(BOOTLOADER_COMPONENT_PATH)/src MAKEFLAGS= V=$(V) TARGET_BIN_LAYOUT="$(BOOTLOADER_TARGET_BIN_LAYOUT)" $(BOOTLOADER_BIN)
 
 bootloader-clean:
 	$(Q) PROJECT_PATH= \
-	COMPONENT_LDFLAGS= \
-	COMPONENT_INCLUDES= \
 	LDFLAGS= \
 	CFLAGS= \
 	BUILD_DIR_BASE=$(BOOTLOADER_BUILD_DIR) \
-	make -C $(BOOTLOADER_COMPONENT_PATH)/src clean MAKEFLAGS= V=$(V)
+	$(MAKE) -C $(BOOTLOADER_COMPONENT_PATH)/src app-clean MAKEFLAGS= V=$(V)
 
 clean: bootloader-clean
 
@@ -50,4 +46,4 @@ $(COMPONENT_PATH)/src/sdkconfig: $(PROJECT_PATH)/sdkconfig
 
 # bootloader-flash calls flash in the bootloader dummy project
 bootloader-flash: $(BOOTLOADER_BIN)
-	make -C $(BOOTLOADER_COMPONENT_PATH)/src flash MAKEFLAGS= V=$(V)
+	$(MAKE) -C $(BOOTLOADER_COMPONENT_PATH)/src flash MAKEFLAGS= V=$(V)
diff --git a/make/project_config.mk b/make/project_config.mk
index 24fd7304e6..862ed760e6 100644
--- a/make/project_config.mk
+++ b/make/project_config.mk
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ endif
 
 # Work out of whether we have to build the Kconfig makefile
 # (auto.conf), or if we're in a situation where we don't need it
-NON_CONFIG_TARGETS := clean %-clean get_variable
+NON_CONFIG_TARGETS := clean %-clean get_variable help
 AUTO_CONF_REGEN_TARGET := $(PROJECT_PATH)/build/include/config/auto.conf
 
 # disable AUTO_CONF_REGEN_TARGET if all targets are non-config targets