diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4639e865f2..7d8dbfcafb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -107,17 +107,6 @@ else
 	BUILD_DIR_SUFFIX :=
 endif
 
-# NuttX verbose output
-ifdef VN
-	export PX4_NUTTX_BUILD_VERBOSE=1
-	export V=1
-endif
-
-# NuttX verbose patches output
-ifdef VNP
-	export PX4_NUTTX_PATCHES_VERBOSE=1
-endif
-
 # additional config parameters passed to cmake
 CMAKE_ARGS := -Wno-deprecated
 
diff --git a/platforms/nuttx/NuttX/CMakeLists.txt b/platforms/nuttx/NuttX/CMakeLists.txt
index 105a4bf236..572d07ec10 100644
--- a/platforms/nuttx/NuttX/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/platforms/nuttx/NuttX/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ add_custom_command(OUTPUT apps_copy.stamp
 	DEPENDS ${copy_apps_files}
 	COMMENT "Copying NuttX/apps to ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}"
 	)
-set(APPS_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/apps)
+set(APPS_DIR ${PX4_BINARY_DIR}/NuttX/apps)
 
 # copy PX4 board config into nuttx
 file(GLOB_RECURSE board_config_files ${NUTTX_CONFIG_DIR}/${BOARD})
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ add_custom_command(OUTPUT
 		${NUTTX_CONFIG_DIR}/${BOARD}/${nuttx_config_type}/defconfig
 		${NUTTX_CONFIG_DIR}/${BOARD}/${nuttx_config_type}/Make.defs
 		${board_config_files}
-		nuttx_copy.stamp apps_copy.stamp
+		nuttx_copy.stamp
+		apps_copy.stamp
 	WORKING_DIRECTORY ${NUTTX_DIR}/tools
 	COMMENT "Copying NuttX config ${BOARD} and configuring"
 	)
@@ -109,12 +110,11 @@ add_custom_target(nuttx_context DEPENDS ${NUTTX_DIR}/include/nuttx/version.h)
 
 # library of NuttX libraries
 add_library(nuttx_build INTERFACE)
+add_dependencies(nuttx_build nuttx_context)
 
 # builtins
-set(nuttx_builtin_list)
-if ("${BOARD}" MATCHES "px4io")
-	# no apps for px4io
-else()
+add_custom_target(nuttx_builtins)
+if (CONFIG_NSH_LIBRARY)
 	# add additional commands to nuttx builtins
 	set(builtin_registry ${APPS_DIR}/builtin/registry)
 	foreach(module ${module_libraries})
@@ -125,26 +125,30 @@ else()
 		if(MAIN)
 			add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${builtin_registry}/${MAIN}_main.bdat
 				COMMAND echo "{ \"${MAIN}\", ${PRIORITY}, ${STACK_MAIN}, ${MAIN}_main }," > ${builtin_registry}/${MAIN}_main.bdat
+				DEPENDS nuttx_context
 				VERBATIM
 				)
-			list(APPEND nuttx_builtin_list ${builtin_registry}/${MAIN}_main.bdat)
 
 			add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${builtin_registry}/${MAIN}_main.pdat
 				COMMAND echo "int ${MAIN}_main(int argc, char *argv[]);" > ${builtin_registry}/${MAIN}_main.pdat
+				DEPENDS nuttx_context
 				VERBATIM
 				)
-			list(APPEND nuttx_builtin_list ${builtin_registry}/${MAIN}_main.pdat)
+
+			add_custom_target(nuttx_builtins_${MAIN} DEPENDS ${builtin_registry}/${MAIN}_main.bdat ${builtin_registry}/${MAIN}_main.pdat)
+			add_dependencies(nuttx_builtins nuttx_builtins_${MAIN})
 		endif()
 	endforeach()
 endif()
+add_dependencies(nuttx_build nuttx_builtins)
 
 # APPS
 
 # libapps.a
 add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${APPS_DIR}/libapps.a ${APPS_DIR}/platform/.built
-	COMMAND find ${APPS_DIR} -name \*.o -o -name \*.built -delete
+	COMMAND find ${APPS_DIR} -name \*.o -delete
 	COMMAND make ${nuttx_build_options} --no-print-directory -C ../apps TOPDIR="${NUTTX_DIR}" libapps.a ${nuttx_build_output}
-	DEPENDS nuttx_context ${nuttx_builtin_list}
+	DEPENDS nuttx_context nuttx_builtins
 	WORKING_DIRECTORY ${NUTTX_DIR}
 	${nuttx_build_uses_terminal}
 	)
diff --git a/src/firmware/nuttx/CMakeLists.txt b/src/firmware/nuttx/CMakeLists.txt
index 3c1b2c7c69..6ddce057cc 100644
--- a/src/firmware/nuttx/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/firmware/nuttx/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ include(common/px4_upload)
 # add executable
 set(fw_name ${CONFIG}.elf)
 add_executable(${fw_name} ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}/src/platforms/empty.c)
-add_dependencies(${fw_name} git_nuttx)
+add_dependencies(${fw_name} git_nuttx nuttx_build)
 
 get_property(module_libraries GLOBAL PROPERTY PX4_LIBRARIES)