diff --git a/include/host-build.mk b/include/host-build.mk
index 83d80bedd5..b5c2a2203d 100644
--- a/include/host-build.mk
+++ b/include/host-build.mk
@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@ STAMP_PREPARED:=$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.prepared_$(shell find ${CURDIR} $(PKG_FILE_DEP
 STAMP_CONFIGURED:=$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.configured
 STAMP_BUILT:=$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.built
 
+include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/quilt.mk
+
+Build/Patch:=$(Build/Patch/Default)
 ifneq ($(strip $(PKG_UNPACK)),)
   define Build/Prepare/Default
   	$(PKG_UNPACK)
-	@if [ -d ./patches ]; then \
-		$(PATCH) $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) ./patches; \
-	fi
+	$(Build/Patch)
   endef
 endif
 
diff --git a/include/quilt.mk b/include/quilt.mk
index 5fbdda1b9f..beb0840c00 100644
--- a/include/quilt.mk
+++ b/include/quilt.mk
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ ifneq ($(QUILT),)
   STAMP_PREPARED:=$(strip $(STAMP_PREPARED))_q
   STAMP_PATCHED:=$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.quilt_patched
   CONFIG_AUTOREBUILD=
-  PATCHES:=$(shell cd ./patches; ls)
+  PATCHES:=$(shell (cd ./patches && ls) 2>/dev/null)
   define Build/Patch/Default
 	rm -rf $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches
 	mkdir -p $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches
@@ -36,18 +36,23 @@ endif
 
 $(STAMP_PATCHED): $(STAMP_PREPARED)
 	@cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); quilt pop -a -f >/dev/null 2>/dev/null || true
-	cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); quilt push -a
+	$(if $(strip $(PATCHES)),cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); quilt push -a)
 	touch $@
 
 refresh: $(STAMP_PREPARED)
+	@[ -f "$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.quilt_used" ] || { \
+		echo "The source directory was not unpacked using quilt. Please rebuild with QUILT=1"; \
+		false; \
+	}
 	@[ -f "$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/series" ] || { \
-		echo "The source directory was not unpacked using quilt. Please rebuild."; \
+		echo "The source directory contains no quilt patches."; \
 		false; \
 	}
 	@[ "$$(cat $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/series | md5sum)" = "$$(sort $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/series | md5sum)" ] || { \
 		echo "The patches are not sorted in the right order. Please fix."; \
 		false; \
 	}
+	mkdir -p ./patches
 	rm -f ./patches/* 2>/dev/null >/dev/null
 	@( \
 		for patch in $$(cat $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/series); do \
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index 513ecccb51..265c6aebf5 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ $(TOOL_HOST_INCLUDES): $(STAGING_DIR)/include-host/%.h: ./include/%.h
 $(TOOL_BUILD_DIR):
 	@mkdir -p $@
 
-%-prereq %-download %-clean: FORCE
+%-prereq %-download %-clean %-refresh: FORCE
 	$(MAKE) -C $* $(patsubst $*-%,%,$@)
 
 %-prepare: $(TOOL_HOST_INCLUDES) $(TOOL_BUILD_DIR) FORCE