diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 59b26c65c9..48c59733b8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ check: all alltools examples testprogs fate
 
 include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/Makefile
 
-$(sort $(OBJDIRS)):
+$(sort $(OUTDIRS)):
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $@
 
 # Dummy rule to stop make trying to rebuild removed or renamed headers
diff --git a/doc/examples/Makefile b/doc/examples/Makefile
index 928ff306b3..2935424e54 100644
--- a/doc/examples/Makefile
+++ b/doc/examples/Makefile
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ $(EXAMPLES_G): %$(PROGSSUF)_g$(EXESUF): %.o
 examples: $(EXAMPLES)
 
 $(EXAMPLES:%$(PROGSSUF)$(EXESUF)=%.o): | doc/examples
-OBJDIRS += doc/examples
+OUTDIRS += doc/examples
 
 DOXY_INPUT += $(EXAMPLES:%$(PROGSSUF)$(EXESUF)=%.c)
 
diff --git a/ffbuild/common.mak b/ffbuild/common.mak
index eb41b05ee6..d2b33320c0 100644
--- a/ffbuild/common.mak
+++ b/ffbuild/common.mak
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ $(SLIBOBJS): | $(sort $(dir $(SLIBOBJS)))
 $(TESTOBJS): | $(sort $(dir $(TESTOBJS)))
 $(TOOLOBJS): | tools
 
-OBJDIRS := $(OBJDIRS) $(dir $(OBJS) $(HOBJS) $(HOSTOBJS) $(SLIBOBJS) $(TESTOBJS))
+OUTDIRS := $(OUTDIRS) $(dir $(OBJS) $(HOBJS) $(HOSTOBJS) $(SLIBOBJS) $(TESTOBJS))
 
 CLEANSUFFIXES     = *.d *.gcda *.gcno *.h.c *.ho *.map *.o *.pc *.ptx *.ptx.c *.ver *.version *$(DEFAULT_X86ASMD).asm *~
 LIBSUFFIXES       = *.a *.lib *.so *.so.* *.dylib *.dll *.def *.dll.a
diff --git a/fftools/Makefile b/fftools/Makefile
index c3a0ff340b..6cec666dd9 100644
--- a/fftools/Makefile
+++ b/fftools/Makefile
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ $(foreach P,$(AVPROGS-yes),$(eval $(call DOFFTOOL,$(P))))
 all: $(AVPROGS)
 
 fftools/ffprobe.o fftools/cmdutils.o: libavutil/ffversion.h | fftools
-OBJDIRS += fftools
+OUTDIRS += fftools
 
 ifdef AVPROGS
 install: install-progs install-data
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index 90801b42b2..0e809770ae 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ FFMPEG=ffmpeg$(PROGSSUF)$(EXESUF)
 $(AREF): CMP=
 
 APITESTSDIR := tests/api
-OBJDIRS += tests/data tests/vsynth1 tests/data/filtergraphs $(APITESTSDIR)/
+OUTDIRS += tests/data tests/vsynth1 tests/data/filtergraphs $(APITESTSDIR)/
 
 $(VREF): tests/videogen$(HOSTEXESUF) | tests/vsynth1
 	$(M)./$< 'tests/vsynth1/'
diff --git a/tests/checkasm/Makefile b/tests/checkasm/Makefile
index 47b7b06d28..8cc0bff2d1 100644
--- a/tests/checkasm/Makefile
+++ b/tests/checkasm/Makefile
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ CHECKASMOBJS := $(sort $(CHECKASMOBJS:%=tests/checkasm/%))
 
 CHECKASMDIRS := $(sort $(dir $(CHECKASMOBJS)))
 $(CHECKASMOBJS): | $(CHECKASMDIRS)
-OBJDIRS += $(CHECKASMDIRS)
+OUTDIRS += $(CHECKASMDIRS)
 
 tests/checkasm/checkasm.o: CFLAGS += -Umain
 
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index 3909e7cfdd..b347caf82a 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ TOOLS-$(CONFIG_ZLIB) += cws2fws
 tools/target_dec_%_fuzzer.o: tools/target_dec_fuzzer.c
 	$(COMPILE_C) -DFFMPEG_DECODER=$*
 
-OBJDIRS += tools
+OUTDIRS += tools
 
 clean::
 	$(RM) $(CLEANSUFFIXES:%=tools/%)