diff --git a/src/Makevars b/src/Makevars
index 0eff645a7..f25fe8b1f 100644
--- a/src/Makevars
+++ b/src/Makevars
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 #
 # The symbols.rds file helps troubleshoot issues with forbidden symbols
 # such as abort.
-all: duckdb.tar symbols.rds $(SHLIB)
+# Set UserNM=true to speed up compilation during development.
+all: symbols.rds $(SHLIB)
 
 include include/sources.mk
 
diff --git a/src/Makevars.in b/src/Makevars.in
index 51cfe4de3..e6959f8c7 100644
--- a/src/Makevars.in
+++ b/src/Makevars.in
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 #
 # The symbols.rds file helps troubleshoot issues with forbidden symbols
 # such as abort.
-all: duckdb.tar symbols.rds $(SHLIB)
+# Set UserNM=true to speed up compilation during development.
+all: symbols.rds $(SHLIB)
 
 include include/sources.mk
 
diff --git a/src/Makevars.win b/src/Makevars.win
index 2f563d513..3b1d2adc9 100644
--- a/src/Makevars.win
+++ b/src/Makevars.win
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 #
 # The symbols.rds file helps troubleshoot issues with forbidden symbols
 # such as abort.
-all: duckdb.tar symbols.rds $(SHLIB)
+# Set UserNM=true to speed up compilation during development.
+all: symbols.rds $(SHLIB)
 
 include include/sources.mk
 
diff --git a/src/include/from-tar.mk b/src/include/from-tar.mk
index 6f5ee12e3..b339fd7a1 100644
--- a/src/include/from-tar.mk
+++ b/src/include/from-tar.mk
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # to an existing file.
 # We print details on the object files already extracted in the configure script
 # for diagnostic purposes.
+all: duckdb.tar
 duckdb.tar: $(DUCKDB_R_PREBUILT_ARCHIVE)
 	ls -lR
 	# Ensure the file is recreated in the next run
diff --git a/src/include/to-tar-win.mk b/src/include/to-tar-win.mk
index e36813d27..30b0935ac 100644
--- a/src/include/to-tar-win.mk
+++ b/src/include/to-tar-win.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # This file is used from Makevars if $DUCKDB_R_PREBUILT_ARCHIVE is empty
 # or does not point to an existing file.
 # In the latter case, we create the file after the object files have been built.
+all: duckdb.tar
 duckdb.tar: $(SOURCES)
 	if [ -n "$(DUCKDB_R_PREBUILT_ARCHIVE)" ]; then tar -cv --force-local -f "$(DUCKDB_R_PREBUILT_ARCHIVE)" $(SOURCES); fi
 	rm -f Makevars.duckdb
diff --git a/src/include/to-tar.mk b/src/include/to-tar.mk
index 67a941833..ddb06bd23 100644
--- a/src/include/to-tar.mk
+++ b/src/include/to-tar.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # This file is used from Makevars if $DUCKDB_R_PREBUILT_ARCHIVE is empty
 # or does not point to an existing file.
 # In the latter case, we create the file after the object files have been built.
+all: duckdb.tar
 duckdb.tar: $(SOURCES)
 	if [ -n "$(DUCKDB_R_PREBUILT_ARCHIVE)" ]; then tar -cv -f "$(DUCKDB_R_PREBUILT_ARCHIVE)" $(SOURCES); fi
 	rm -f Makevars.duckdb