diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index 962c0f208e..542db3ea7e 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -2290,9 +2290,7 @@ $(hide) if [ -s $(PRIVATE_JAVA_SOURCE_LIST) ] ; then \
     --javacopts $(PRIVATE_JAVACFLAGS) $(COMMON_JDK_FLAGS) \
     $(addprefix --classpath ,$(strip \
         $(call normalize-path-list,$(PRIVATE_ALL_JAVA_HEADER_LIBRARIES)))) \
-    || ( rm -rf $(dir $@)/classes-turbine ; exit 41 ) \
-fi
-$(hide) if [ -s $@.premerged ] ; then \
+    || ( rm -rf $(dir $@)/classes-turbine ; exit 41 ) && \
     $(MERGE_ZIPS) -j -stripDir META-INF $@.tmp $@.premerged $(call reverse-list,$(PRIVATE_STATIC_JAVA_HEADER_LIBRARIES)) ; \
 else \
     $(MERGE_ZIPS) -j -stripDir META-INF $@.tmp $(call reverse-list,$(PRIVATE_STATIC_JAVA_HEADER_LIBRARIES)) ; \