Hi there, I will try to map my issue to something that you are familiar with. For example "MonetDB-11.23.3/sql/backends/monet5/vaults" module. 1) It has Makefile.ag which has (among other lines): lib__vault = { MODULE DIR = libdir/monetdb5 SOURCES = vault.c LIBS = ../../../../monetdb5/tools/libmonetdb5 \ ../../../../gdk/libbat $(curl_LIBS) } And that means that "libmonetdb.la" has to be created before "vaults" is built. 2) Let's say I have added "../../../../sql/backends/monet5/lib_sql" dependency lib__vault = { MODULE DIR = libdir/monetdb5 SOURCES = vault.c LIBS = ../../../../monetdb5/tools/libmonetdb5 \ * ../../../../sql/backends/monet5/lib_sql \* ../../../../gdk/libbat $(curl_LIBS) } As you can see "vaults" is leaving inside "MonetDB-11.23.3/sql/backends/monet5" directory. 3) Now my question is: How can one propagate into MonetDB-11.23.3/sql/backends/monet5/Makefile.am that "lib_sql.la" has to be created before "vaults" is built? p.s. On Windows, there is MonetDB-11.23.3/sql/backends/monet5/Makefile.msc used (instead Makefile.am). And I would just change order in "all-recursive all-msc" to "all-msc all-recursive": # build-all: $(BUILT_SOURCES) all-recursive all-msc build-all: $(BUILT_SOURCES) all-msc all-recursive Thank you, Anton