diff --git a/external/.gitignore b/external/.gitignore
index fd9b925c8..dd07bff2c 100644
--- a/external/.gitignore
+++ b/external/.gitignore
@@ -1,18 +1 @@
-x86_64-linux-gnu
-aarch64-linux-gnu
-arm-linux-gnueabihf
-x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
-arm64-apple-darwin*
-x86_64-apple-darwin*
-
-libbacktrace-build/
-libbacktrace.a
-libbacktrace.la
-libbase58/
-libbase58.a
-libwally-core-build/
-libjsmn.a
-libsecp256k1.a
-libsecp256k1.la
-libwallycore.a
-libwallycore.la
+build-*
diff --git a/external/Makefile b/external/Makefile
index c922657ce..ce8310dbe 100644
--- a/external/Makefile
+++ b/external/Makefile
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ endif
 TOP := ../..
 ifdef BUILD
 CROSSCOMPILE_OPTS := --host="$(MAKE_HOST)" --build="$(BUILD)"
-TARGET_DIR := external/$(MAKE_HOST)
+TARGET_DIR := external/build-$(MAKE_HOST)
 else
-TARGET_DIR := external/$(shell ${CC} -dumpmachine)
+TARGET_DIR := external/build-$(shell ${CC} -dumpmachine)
 endif
 
 LIBSODIUM_HEADERS := external/libsodium/src/libsodium/include/sodium.h
@@ -123,14 +123,8 @@ distclean: external-distclean
 clean: external-clean
 
 external-clean:
-	$(RM) $(EXTERNAL_LIBS) $(TARGET_DIR)/*.la $(TARGET_DIR)/*.o
-	$(RM) $(TARGET_DIR)/jsmn-build/jsmn.o
-	$(RM) -r $(TARGET_DIR)/lowdown-build/*
-	if [ -f ${TARGET_DIR}/libsodium-build/Makefile ]; then make -C ${TARGET_DIR}/libsodium-build clean; fi
-	if [ -f ${TARGET_DIR}/libwally-core-build/Makefile ]; then make -C ${TARGET_DIR}/libwally-core-build clean; fi
-	if [ -f ${TARGET_DIR}/libwally-core-build/src/Makefile ]; then make -C ${TARGET_DIR}/libwally-core-build/src clean; fi
-	if [ -f ${TARGET_DIR}/libbacktrace-build/Makefile ]; then make -C ${TARGET_DIR}/libbacktrace-build clean; fi
-	if [ -f external/lowdown/Makefile.configure ]; then $(MAKE) -C external/lowdown clean; fi
+	$(RM) $(EXTERNAL_LIBS)
+	$(RM) -rf $(TARGET_DIR)
 
 external-distclean:
 	make -C external/libsodium distclean || true