diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ecc2247f..5b472f76 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,10 +7,17 @@ BOARD ?= qemu-gicv3
 BID ?=
 ptest ?=
 
+# `make` builds everything by default; `make ptest=<irq|net|mem|blk>` runs that
+# benchmark instead. Set explicitly so that adding a target above `all` cannot
+# silently change what a bare `make` does.
 ifeq ($(origin ptest),command line)
 ifneq ($(strip $(ptest)),)
 .DEFAULT_GOAL := ptest
+else
+.DEFAULT_GOAL := all
 endif
+else
+.DEFAULT_GOAL := all
 endif
 
 # if user uses `make ID=aarch64/qemu-gicv2`, we parse it into ARCH and BOARD
@@ -78,7 +85,30 @@ COLOR_RESET := $(shell tput sgr0)
 kconfig_python := tools/kconfig/.venv/bin/python
 
 # Targets
-.PHONY: all elf disa run gdb monitor clean tools rootfs vscode ci-run defconfig menuconfig savedefconfig ensure_config clean_check kconfig_venv link_board check-hv-mem-overlap
+.PHONY: all elf disa run gdb monitor clean tools rootfs vscode ci-run defconfig menuconfig savedefconfig ensure_config kconfig_venv link_board check-hv-mem-overlap
+
+# `all` must stay the first target: a bare `make` runs the first target in this file.
+all: ensure_config gen_cargo_config vscode $(hvisor_bin) check-hv-mem-overlap
+	@printf "\n"
+	@printf "$(COLOR_GREEN)$(COLOR_BOLD)hvisor build summary:$(COLOR_RESET)\n"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "ARCH            =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(ARCH)$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "BOARD           =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(BOARD)$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "BID             =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(BID)$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "LOG             =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(LOG)$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "DEFCONFIG       =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)platform/$(ARCH)/$(BOARD)/kconfig/defconfig$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "RUSTC_TARGET    =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(RUSTC_TARGET)$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "BUILD_PATH      =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(build_path)$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "HVISON_BIN_SIZE =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(shell du -h $(hvisor_bin) | cut -f1)$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@start_addr=$$(rust-nm $(hvisor_elf) | grep skernel | awk '{print $$1}'); \
+	 end_addr=$$(rust-nm $(hvisor_elf) | grep __hv_end | awk '{print $$1}'); \
+	 size=$$(echo "obase=16; ibase=16; $$(echo $$end_addr | tr 'a-z' 'A-Z') - $$(echo $$start_addr | tr 'a-z' 'A-Z')" | bc | tr 'A-Z' 'a-z'); \
+	 printf "%-10s %s\n" "START_ADDR      =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)0x$$start_addr$(COLOR_RESET)"; \
+	 printf "%-10s %s\n" "MEM_SIZE        =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)0x$$size$(COLOR_RESET)"; \
+	 printf "%-10s %s\n" "END_ADDR        =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)0x$$end_addr$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "BUILD TIME      =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(shell date)$(COLOR_RESET)"
+	@printf "\n"
+	@printf "$(COLOR_GREEN)$(COLOR_BOLD)hvisor build success!$(COLOR_RESET)\n"
+
 kconfig_venv:
 	@if [ ! -x $(kconfig_python) ]; then \
 		echo "$(COLOR_YELLOW)Creating tools/kconfig/.venv (kconfiglib)...$(COLOR_RESET)"; \
@@ -102,8 +132,6 @@ ensure_config:
 		$(MAKE) --no-print-directory defconfig; \
 	fi
 
-clean_check: ensure_config
-
 link_board:
 	@mkdir -p src/platform
 	@ln -sfn ../../platform/$(ARCH)/$(BOARD)/board.rs src/platform/__board.rs
@@ -118,27 +146,6 @@ menuconfig: kconfig_venv
 savedefconfig:
 	@./tools/kconfig/save_defconfig.sh "$(ARCH)" "$(BOARD)"
 
-all: ensure_config gen_cargo_config vscode $(hvisor_bin) check-hv-mem-overlap
-	@printf "\n"
-	@printf "$(COLOR_GREEN)$(COLOR_BOLD)hvisor build summary:$(COLOR_RESET)\n"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "ARCH            =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(ARCH)$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "BOARD           =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(BOARD)$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "BID             =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(BID)$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "LOG             =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(LOG)$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "DEFCONFIG       =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)platform/$(ARCH)/$(BOARD)/kconfig/defconfig$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "RUSTC_TARGET    =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(RUSTC_TARGET)$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "BUILD_PATH      =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(build_path)$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "HVISON_BIN_SIZE =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(shell du -h $(hvisor_bin) | cut -f1)$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@start_addr=$$(rust-nm $(hvisor_elf) | grep skernel | awk '{print $$1}'); \
-	 end_addr=$$(rust-nm $(hvisor_elf) | grep __hv_end | awk '{print $$1}'); \
-	 size=$$(echo "obase=16; ibase=16; $$(echo $$end_addr | tr 'a-z' 'A-Z') - $$(echo $$start_addr | tr 'a-z' 'A-Z')" | bc | tr 'A-Z' 'a-z'); \
-	 printf "%-10s %s\n" "START_ADDR      =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)0x$$start_addr$(COLOR_RESET)"; \
-	 printf "%-10s %s\n" "MEM_SIZE        =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)0x$$size$(COLOR_RESET)"; \
-	 printf "%-10s %s\n" "END_ADDR        =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)0x$$end_addr$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "%-10s %s\n" "BUILD TIME      =" "$(COLOR_BOLD)$(shell date)$(COLOR_RESET)"
-	@printf "\n"
-	@printf "$(COLOR_GREEN)$(COLOR_BOLD)hvisor build success!$(COLOR_RESET)\n"
-
 gen_cargo_config:
 	@printf "$(COLOR_GREEN)$(COLOR_BOLD)generating .cargo/config.toml...$(COLOR_RESET)\n"
 	@chmod +x tools/kconfig/host_config.sh 2>/dev/null || true