diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ccd3061..6a86096 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ include Makefile.common
 	$(MKDEP)
 
 libs/%.so: FAKE
-	@make -C libs $(notdir $@)
+	@$(MAKE) -C libs $(notdir $@)
 
 #
 # Testing section - there are three types of tests:
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ xc6slx9.svg: draw_svg_tiles
 	./draw_svg_tiles | xmllint --pretty 1 - > $@
 
 clean:
-	@make -C libs clean
+	@$(MAKE) -C libs clean
 	rm -f $(OBJS) *.d
 	rm -f 	draw_svg_tiles fpinfo hstrrep sort_seq merge_seq autotest
 	rm -f	fp2bit bit2fp printf_swbits pair2net hello_world blinking_led
@@ -247,10 +247,10 @@ clean:
 	rm -f	$(foreach f, $(COMPARE_TESTS), test.out/compare_$(f).fcd)
 	rm -f	$(foreach f, $(COMPARE_TESTS), test.out/compare_$(f).fce)
 	rm -f	test.out/compare_xc6slx9.fp
-	rmdir --ignore-fail-on-non-empty test.out test.gold
+	rm -rf test.out test.gold
 
 install: fp2bit bit2fp
-	@make -C libs install
+	@$(MAKE) -C libs install
 	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/$(PREFIX)/bin/
 	install -m 755 fp2bit $(DESTDIR)/$(PREFIX)/bin/
 	install -m 755 bit2fp $(DESTDIR)/$(PREFIX)/bin/
@@ -258,5 +258,5 @@ install: fp2bit bit2fp
 	chrpath -d $(DESTDIR)/$(PREFIX)/bin/bit2fp
 
 uninstall:
-	@make -C libs uninstall
+	@$(MAKE) -C libs uninstall
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)/$(PREFIX)/bin/{fp2bit,bit2fp}
diff --git a/Makefile.common b/Makefile.common
index d454321..5eea632 100644
--- a/Makefile.common
+++ b/Makefile.common
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 PREFIX ?= /usr/local
 
-SHELL = /bin/bash
+SHELL = bash
 
 # -fno-omit-frame-pointer and -ggdb add almost nothing to execution
 # time right now, so we can leave them in all the time.