diff --git a/dist/tools/cc2538-bsl/Makefile b/dist/tools/cc2538-bsl/Makefile
index 2611e00821..8e2089df26 100644
--- a/dist/tools/cc2538-bsl/Makefile
+++ b/dist/tools/cc2538-bsl/Makefile
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@ PKG_NAME=cc2538-bsl
 PKG_URL=https://github.com/JelmerT/cc2538-bsl.git
 PKG_VERSION=733e6f5b496402e40ad6d12df3d0372e205b8883
 PKG_LICENSE=BSD-3-Clause
-PKG_BUILDDIR=$(CURDIR)/bin
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/pkg/pkg.mk
 
-all:
+all: $(CURDIR)/cc2538-bsl.py
+
+$(CURDIR)/cc2538-bsl.py: $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/cc2538-bsl.py
 	cp $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/cc2538-bsl.py .
+
+clean::
+	rm -f $(CURDIR)/cc2538-bsl.py
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/targets.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/targets.inc.mk
index e2c29c5c5d..5b2e94f621 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/targets.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/targets.inc.mk
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ $(RIOTTOOLS)/pic32prog/pic32prog: $(RIOTTOOLS)/pic32prog/Makefile
 	$(MAKE) -C $(@D)
 	@echo "[INFO] $(@F) binary successfully built!"
 
-$(RIOTTOOLS)/cc2538-bsl/cc2538-bsl.py:
+$(RIOTTOOLS)/cc2538-bsl/cc2538-bsl.py: $(RIOTTOOLS)/cc2538-bsl/Makefile
 	@echo "[INFO] cc2538-bsl.py not found - fetching it from GitHub now"
-	CC= CFLAGS= $(MAKE) -C $(RIOTTOOLS)/cc2538-bsl
+	@CC= CFLAGS= $(MAKE) -C $(RIOTTOOLS)/cc2538-bsl
 	@echo "[INFO] cc2538-bsl.py successfully fetched!"
 
 $(RIOTTOOLS)/edbg/edbg: $(RIOTTOOLS)/edbg/Makefile