diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ba67f3323078..538c4821f350 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ endif
 # * `kubernetes` run the workflow-controller and argo-server on the Kubernetes cluster
 RUN_MODE              := local
 KUBECTX               := $(shell [[ "`which kubectl`" != '' ]] && kubectl config current-context || echo none)
-DOCKER_DESKTOP        := $(shell [[ "$(KUBECTX)" == "docker-desktop" ]] && echo true || echo false)
 K3D                   := $(shell [[ "$(KUBECTX)" == "k3d-"* ]] && echo true || echo false)
 ifeq ($(PROFILE),prometheus)
 RUN_MODE              := kubernetes
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ AUTH_MODE                     := sso
 endif
 
 $(info GIT_COMMIT=$(GIT_COMMIT) GIT_BRANCH=$(GIT_BRANCH) GIT_TAG=$(GIT_TAG) GIT_TREE_STATE=$(GIT_TREE_STATE) RELEASE_TAG=$(RELEASE_TAG) DEV_BRANCH=$(DEV_BRANCH) VERSION=$(VERSION))
-$(info KUBECTX=$(KUBECTX) DOCKER_DESKTOP=$(DOCKER_DESKTOP) K3D=$(K3D) DOCKER_PUSH=$(DOCKER_PUSH) TARGET_PLATFORM=$(TARGET_PLATFORM))
+$(info KUBECTX=$(KUBECTX) K3D=$(K3D) DOCKER_PUSH=$(DOCKER_PUSH) TARGET_PLATFORM=$(TARGET_PLATFORM))
 $(info RUN_MODE=$(RUN_MODE) PROFILE=$(PROFILE) AUTH_MODE=$(AUTH_MODE) SECURE=$(SECURE) STATIC_FILES=$(STATIC_FILES) ALWAYS_OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS=$(ALWAYS_OFFLOAD_NODE_STATUS) UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG=$(UPPERIO_DB_DEBUG) LOG_LEVEL=$(LOG_LEVEL) NAMESPACED=$(NAMESPACED))
 
 override LDFLAGS += \
@@ -107,11 +106,14 @@ override LDFLAGS += -X github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3.gitTag=${GIT_TAG}
 endif
 
 ifndef $(GOPATH)
-	GOPATH=$(shell go env GOPATH)
+	GOPATH:=$(shell go env GOPATH)
 	export GOPATH
 endif
 
 # -- file lists
+# These variables are only used as prereqs for the below targets, and we don't want to run them for other targets
+# because the "go list" calls are very slow
+ifneq (,$(filter dist/argoexec dist/workflow-controller dist/argo dist/argo-% docs/cli/argo.md,$(MAKECMDGOALS)))
 HACK_PKG_FILES_AS_PKGS ?= false
 ifeq ($(HACK_PKG_FILES_AS_PKGS),false)
 	ARGOEXEC_PKG_FILES        := $(shell go list -f '{{ join .Deps "\n" }}' ./cmd/argoexec/ |  grep 'argoproj/argo-workflows/v3/' | xargs go list -f '{{ range $$file := .GoFiles }}{{ print $$.ImportPath "/" $$file "\n" }}{{ end }}' | cut -c 39-)
@@ -124,6 +126,11 @@ else
 	CLI_PKG_FILES         := $(shell echo cmd/argo                && go list -f '{{ join .Deps "\n" }}' ./cmd/argo/                | grep 'argoproj/argo-workflows/v3/' | cut -c 39-)
 	CONTROLLER_PKG_FILES  := $(shell echo cmd/workflow-controller && go list -f '{{ join .Deps "\n" }}' ./cmd/workflow-controller/ | grep 'argoproj/argo-workflows/v3/' | cut -c 39-)
 endif
+else
+	ARGOEXEC_PKG_FILES    :=
+	CLI_PKG_FILES         :=
+	CONTROLLER_PKG_FILES  :=
+endif
 
 TYPES := $(shell find pkg/apis/workflow/v1alpha1 -type f -name '*.go' -not -name openapi_generated.go -not -name '*generated*' -not -name '*test.go')
 CRDS := $(shell find manifests/base/crds -type f -name 'argoproj.io_*.yaml')
@@ -651,6 +658,7 @@ pkg/apis/workflow/v1alpha1/openapi_generated.go: $(GOPATH)/bin/openapi-gen $(TYP
 
 
 # generates many other files (listers, informers, client etc).
+.PRECIOUS: pkg/apis/workflow/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
 pkg/apis/workflow/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go: $(GOPATH)/bin/go-to-protobuf $(TYPES)
 	# These files are generated on a v3/ folder by the tool. Link them to the root folder
 	[ -e ./v3 ] || ln -s . v3