diff --git a/npc/Makefile b/npc/Makefile
index d8e02a0..a4f422b 100644
--- a/npc/Makefile
+++ b/npc/Makefile
@@ -5,28 +5,21 @@ OBJDIR := $(PREFIX)/obj
 VSRC := $(wildcard vsrc/*.v)
 SRC_AUTO_BIND := $(abspath $(PREFIX)/auto_bind.cpp)
 CPPSRCS := $(addprefix $(PWD)/,$(wildcard csrc/*.cpp))
-# TODO: fix this ugly way to find nvboard.a
+# TODO: fix this awkward way to find nvboard.a
 CPPSRCS += $(SRC_AUTO_BIND) $(NVBOARD_HOME)/build/nvboard.a
 NXDC_FILES = $(abspath constr/top.nxdc)
 SUBMAKE := $(OBJDIR)/Vexample.mk
 
 VERILATOR_FLAGS := --cc --exe
-CXXFLAGS += -I$(NVBOARD_HOME)/include $(shell sdl2-config --cflags) -g
 LDFLAGS += $(shell sdl2-config --libs) -lSDL2_image
 
-all: sim nvboard
+all: sim
 
 sim: VERILATOR_FLAGS += --trace 
 sim: $(VSRC) $(CPPSRCS) $(OBJDIR)/Vexample git_trace
 	@echo "Running" $(OBJDIR)/Vexample "..."
 	@echo "================================"
 	@$(OBJDIR)/Vexample
-
-nvboard: OBJDIR := $(PREFIX)/nvobj
-nvboard: CPPSRCS := $(addprefix $(PWD)/,$(wildcard csrc_nvboard/*.cpp)) $(SRC_AUTO_BIND) $(NVBOARD_HOME)/build/nvboard.a
-nvboard: $(VSRC) $(CPPSRCS) $(OBJDIR)/Vexample
-	@NVBOARD_HOME=$(NVBOARD_HOME) $(OBJDIR)/Vexample
-
 	
 $(OBJDIR)/Vexample: $(SUBMAKE)
 	$(MAKE) -C $(OBJDIR) -f $(notdir $(SUBMAKE)) Vexample
@@ -40,13 +33,10 @@ $(OBJDIR):
 $(SRC_AUTO_BIND): $(NXDC_FILES) $(OBJDIR)
 	NVBOARD_HOME=$(NVBOARD_HOME) python3 $(NVBOARD_HOME)/scripts/auto_pin_bind.py $< $@
 
-
 ifneq (,$(wildcard ../Makefile))
 include ../Makefile
-endif
-
-ifeq (,$(wildcard ../Makefile))
-define git_commit
+else
+define git_commit	# not in ICS subfolder, no tracing
 endef
 endif
 
@@ -54,7 +44,13 @@ git_trace:
 	$(call git_commit, "sim RTL")
 
 
-.PHONY: clean 
+.PHONY: clean nvboard
+
+nvboard: OBJDIR := $(PREFIX)/nvobj
+nvboard: CPPSRCS := $(addprefix $(PWD)/,$(wildcard csrc_nvboard/*.cpp)) $(SRC_AUTO_BIND) $(NVBOARD_HOME)/build/nvboard.a
+nvboard: CXXFLAGS += -I$(NVBOARD_HOME)/include $(shell sdl2-config --cflags) -g
+nvboard: $(VSRC) $(CPPSRCS) $(OBJDIR)/Vexample
+	@NVBOARD_HOME=$(NVBOARD_HOME) $(OBJDIR)/Vexample
 
 clean: 
 	$(RM) -r $(PREFIX)