diff --git a/arch/sandbox/Makefile b/arch/sandbox/Makefile
index a335f8acfde..5bbf9f1f96b 100644
--- a/arch/sandbox/Makefile
+++ b/arch/sandbox/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+
 
-head-y := arch/sandbox/cpu/start.o arch/sandbox/cpu/os.o
+head-y := arch/sandbox/cpu/start.o
 head-$(CONFIG_SANDBOX_SDL) += arch/sandbox/cpu/sdl.o
 libs-y += arch/sandbox/cpu/
 libs-y += arch/sandbox/lib/
diff --git a/arch/sandbox/cpu/Makefile b/arch/sandbox/cpu/Makefile
index aac65e48675..03cdf2ae0f1 100644
--- a/arch/sandbox/cpu/Makefile
+++ b/arch/sandbox/cpu/Makefile
@@ -5,29 +5,14 @@
 # (C) Copyright 2000-2003
 # Wolfgang Denk, DENX Software Engineering, wd@denx.de.
 
-obj-y	:= cache.o cpu.o mem.o state.o
-extra-y	:= start.o os.o
+obj-y	:= cache.o cpu.o mem.o state.o os.o
+extra-y	:= start.o
 extra-$(CONFIG_SANDBOX_SDL)    += sdl.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_XPL_BUILD)	+= spl.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_ETH_SANDBOX_RAW)	+= eth-raw-os.o
 
-# os.c is build in the system environment, so needs standard includes
-# CFLAGS_REMOVE_os.o cannot be used to drop header include path
-quiet_cmd_cc_os.o = CC $(quiet_modtag)  $@
-cmd_cc_os.o = $(CC) $(filter-out -nostdinc, \
-	$(patsubst -I%,-idirafter%,$(c_flags))) -c -o $@ $<
-
-$(obj)/os.o: $(src)/os.c FORCE
-	$(call if_changed_dep,cc_os.o)
-
-# eth-raw-os.c is built in the system env, so needs standard includes
-# CFLAGS_REMOVE_eth-raw-os.o cannot be used to drop header include path
-quiet_cmd_cc_eth-raw-os.o = CC $(quiet_modtag)  $@
-cmd_cc_eth-raw-os.o = $(CC) $(filter-out -nostdinc, \
-	$(patsubst -I%,-idirafter%,$(c_flags))) -c -o $@ $<
-
-$(obj)/eth-raw-os.o: $(src)/eth-raw-os.c FORCE
-	$(call if_changed_dep,cc_eth-raw-os.o)
+# Compile these files with system headers
+CFLAGS_USE_SYSHDRS := eth-raw-os.o os.o sdl.o
 
 # sdl.c fails to build with -fshort-wchar using musl
 cmd_cc_sdl.o = $(CC) $(filter-out -nostdinc -fshort-wchar, \
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.lib b/scripts/Makefile.lib
index 4102e662c5f..6d6a21f262a 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.lib
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.lib
@@ -162,15 +162,21 @@ __cpp_flags     = $(call flags,_cpp_flags)
 endif
 endif
 
-# Modified for U-Boot: LINUXINCLUDE -> UBOOTINCLUDE
-c_flags        = -Wp,-MD,$(depfile) $(NOSTDINC_FLAGS) $(UBOOTINCLUDE)     \
-		 $(__c_flags) $(modkern_cflags)                           \
+# Handle special sandbox files which need to be built with system headers
+use_syshdrs = $(filter $(basetarget).o, $(CFLAGS_USE_SYSHDRS))
+nostdinc	= $(if $(use_syshdrs),,$(NOSTDINC_FLAGS))
+ubootinclude	= $(if $(use_syshdrs),$(patsubst -I%,-idirafter%,\
+			$(UBOOTINCLUDE)),$(UBOOTINCLUDE))
+
+# Modified for U-Boot: NOSTDINC_FLAGS -> nostdinc and LINUXINCLUDE -> ubootinclude
+c_flags        = -Wp,-MD,$(depfile) $(nostdinc) $(ubootinclude)     \
+		 $(__c_flags) $(modkern_cflags)                     \
 		 $(basename_flags) $(modname_flags)
 
-a_flags        = -Wp,-MD,$(depfile) $(NOSTDINC_FLAGS) $(UBOOTINCLUDE)     \
+a_flags        = -Wp,-MD,$(depfile) $(nostdinc) $(ubootinclude)     \
 		 $(__a_flags) $(modkern_aflags)
 
-cpp_flags      = -Wp,-MD,$(depfile) $(NOSTDINC_FLAGS) $(UBOOTINCLUDE)     \
+cpp_flags      = -Wp,-MD,$(depfile) $(nostdinc) $(ubootinclude)     \
 		 $(__cpp_flags)
 
 ld_flags       = $(KBUILD_LDFLAGS) $(ldflags-y) $(LDFLAGS_$(@F))