diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 64b4ad1201..33ac1e0eda 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -683,21 +683,18 @@ ifndef AUTOPUSH
 endif
 	env $(X_BUILD_ENV) docker buildx build --builder $(X_DOCKER_BUILDER) --platform $(KICBASE_ARCH) $(addprefix -t ,$(KICBASE_IMAGE_REGISTRIES)) --push  --build-arg COMMIT_SHA=${VERSION}-$(COMMIT) ./deploy/kicbase
 
+PRELOAD_TOOL = out/preload-tool
 
-out/preload-tool:
+$(PRELOAD_TOOL):
 	go build -ldflags="$(MINIKUBE_LDFLAGS)" -o $@ ./hack/preload-images/*.go
 
 .PHONY: upload-preloaded-images-tar
-upload-preloaded-images-tar: out/minikube out/preload-tool ## Upload the preloaded images for oldest supported, newest supported, and default kubernetes versions to GCS.
-	./out/preload-tool
-
-.PHONY: upload-preloaded-images-tar
-upload-preloaded-images-tar: out/minikube out/preload-tool ## Upload the preloaded images for oldest supported, newest supported, and default kubernetes versions to GCS.
-	./out/preload-tool
+upload-preloaded-images-tar: out/minikube $(PRELOAD_TOOL) ## Upload the preloaded images for oldest supported, newest supported, and default kubernetes versions to GCS.
+	$(PRELOAD_TOOL)
 
 .PHONY: generate-preloaded-images-tar
-generate-preloaded-images-tar: out/minikube out/preload-tool ## Generates the preloaded images for oldest supported, newest supported, and default kubernetes versions
-	./out/preload-tool --no-upload
+generate-preloaded-images-tar: out/minikube $(PRELOAD_TOOL) ## Generates the preloaded images for oldest supported, newest supported, and default kubernetes versions
+	$(PRELOAD_TOOL) --no-upload
 
 ALL_ARCH = amd64 arm arm64 ppc64le s390x
 IMAGE = $(REGISTRY)/storage-provisioner