diff --git a/make/projects-dir.mk b/make/projects-dir.mk
index dc616693..96d0a2ee 100644
--- a/make/projects-dir.mk
+++ b/make/projects-dir.mk
@@ -270,12 +270,11 @@ pkg-%: $(filter-out $(UNAVAILABLE_TARGETS),pull.done)
 
 # --- generic cleanup targets
 
-clean-dirs:
-	echo $(sort $(subst /,,$(dir $(wildcard */*.done)))) | xargs -r $(JW_PKG_PY_BUILD) clean
-
 clean-all-dirs:
+	$(JW_PKG_PY_BUILD) clean $(sort $(subst /,,$(dir $(wildcard */*.done))) $(PROJECTS))
+
+clean-dirs:
 	$(JW_PKG_PY_BUILD) clean $(PROJECTS)
-	make clean-dirs
 
 purge: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
 ifneq ($(PURGE_SH),/bin/bash purge-not-found)