diff --git a/Makefile.defs b/Makefile.defs
index ed6bdb5a..abb39fce 100644
--- a/Makefile.defs
+++ b/Makefile.defs
@@ -231,6 +231,18 @@ INSTALL-MODULES = $(INSTALL) -m 755
 INSTALL-DOC = $(INSTALL) -m 644
 INSTALL-AUDIO = $(INSTALL) -m 644
 
+#export stuff to sub-makes
+export REL_VERSION RELEASE
+export CPPFLAGS CXXFLAGS LDFLAGS CFLAGS LIB_LDFLAGS
+export CXX CC LD
+export DESTDIR PREFIX prefix basedir ser-prefix
+export start-script
+export cfg-prefix bin-prefix modules-prefix doc-prefix audio-prefix
+export cfg-dir bin-dir modules-dir audio-dir lib-dir ser-cfg-dir doc-dir man-dir
+export bin-target cfg-target modules-target audio-target ser-cfg-target lib-target
+export INSTALL TAR INSTALL-TOUCH INSTALL-CFG INSTALL-BIN INSTALL-MODULES INSTALL-DOC INSTALL-AUDIO
+
+endif  # ifeq ($(makefile_defs, 1)
 
 mk-install-dirs: $(DESTDIR)$(cfg-target) \
 		 $(DESTDIR)$(bin-prefix)/$(bin-dir) \
@@ -252,17 +264,3 @@ $(DESTDIR)$(audio-prefix)/$(audio-dir):
 
 $(DESTDIR)$(doc-prefix)/$(doc-dir):
 	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(doc-prefix)/$(doc-dir)
-
-#export stuff to sub-makes
-export REL_VERSION RELEASE
-export CPPFLAGS CXXFLAGS LDFLAGS CFLAGS LIB_LDFLAGS
-export CXX CC LD
-export DESTDIR PREFIX prefix basedir ser-prefix
-export start-script
-export cfg-prefix bin-prefix modules-prefix doc-prefix audio-prefix
-export cfg-dir bin-dir modules-dir audio-dir lib-dir ser-cfg-dir doc-dir man-dir
-export bin-target cfg-target modules-target audio-target ser-cfg-target lib-target
-export INSTALL TAR INSTALL-TOUCH INSTALL-CFG INSTALL-BIN INSTALL-MODULES INSTALL-DOC INSTALL-AUDIO
-
-
-endif  # ifeq ($(makefile_defs, 1)