diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index 278be24ccb..656c2c59c5 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate/apng.mak
 include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate/atrac.mak
 include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate/audio.mak
 include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate/bmp.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate/build.mak
 include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate/canopus.mak
 include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate/cdxl.mak
 include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/fate/checkasm.mak
diff --git a/tests/fate-run.sh b/tests/fate-run.sh
index 4641640d42..51480b46c7 100755
--- a/tests/fate-run.sh
+++ b/tests/fate-run.sh
@@ -350,6 +350,9 @@ concat(){
     else
         run ffprobe${PROGSUF} -bitexact -show_streams -show_packets -v 0 -of compact=p=0:nk=1 -fflags keepside -safe 0 $extra_args $concatfile
     fi
+
+null(){
+    :
 }
 
 mkdir -p "$outdir"
diff --git a/tests/fate/build.mak b/tests/fate/build.mak
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f97f9ebe5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fate/build.mak
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+FATE_BUILD += fate-build-alltools
+fate-build-alltools: alltools
+
+FATE_BUILD += fate-build-checkheaders
+fate-build-checkheaders: checkheaders
+
+FATE_BUILD += fate-build-examples
+fate-build-examples: examples
+
+FATE_BUILD += fate-build-testprogs
+fate-build-testprogs: testprogs
+
+$(FATE_BUILD): CMD = null
+$(FATE_BUILD): CMP = null
+
+# FATE += $(FATE_BUILD)
+fate-build: $(FATE_BUILD)