comment #1:

> Thanks for your report.
>
> > test.x exists but make 4.4 says it doesn't
> This is an old issue, that keeps causing questions. I think, we should open a dedicated bug report about this.
>

Okay. Makes sense: https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/index.php?63510.

> > test.foo is older than test.x therefore test.x does not need to be updated
> This is indeed a regression.
>
> The fix for sv 60435 introduced a piece of code in implicit.c.
> Specifically,

> +                  if (f && !f->is_explicit && !d->is_explicit)
> +                    f->intermediate = 1;

>
> Same fix also introduced code in file.c and read.c to set file->is_explicit for all explicitly mentioned prerequisites and targets.
> to prevent explicitly mentioned files from being treated as intermediate.
> In this example test.foo is not a prerequisite and not a target.
> This patch in the attachment marks all makefiles as explicit.
>

I've tested the patch and can confirm that it resolves the issue, thanks.

Here's a test case reduced from a much larger build system demonstrating a behavioural change between 4.3 and 4.4 which caught me by surprise:

.SECONDARY:
.PHONY: force
-include test.foo
%.foo: force
        touch -a $@
%.x: %.foo
        touch $@
test: test.x
        touch $@

with 4.3
% ls
Makefile
% make
touch -a test.foo
touch -a test.foo
touch test.x
touch test
% ls
Makefile  test  test.foo  test.x
% make
touch -a test.foo
make: 'test' is up to date.

with 4.4
% ls
Makefile
% make
touch -a test.foo
touch -a test.foo
touch test.x
touch test
% ls
Makefile  test  test.foo  test.x
% make
touch -a test.foo
touch test.x
touch test

with --trace
% ls
Makefile  test  test.foo  test.x
% make --trace
touch -a test.foo
Makefile:7: update target 'test.x' due to: target does not exist
touch test.x
Makefile:9: update target 'test' due to: test.x
touch test

I've reported this a bug because:

• test.x exists but make 4.4 says it doesn't
• test.foo is older than test.x therefore test.x does not need to be updated