diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1f8f5a5..f5457bc 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/minisel.mk
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/flatbuffers.mk
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/spike.mk
+include $(ROOTDIR)/build/verilator.mk
 
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/platforms/$(PLATFORM)/platform.mk
 
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@
 # This includes Rust, GCC, CLANG, verilator, qemu, and renode.
 #
 # Output is placed in cache/ and out/host.
-tools: install_rust install_gcc install_llvm install_kelvin verilator renode qemu
+tools:: install_rust install_gcc install_llvm install_kelvin renode qemu
 
 ## Cleans the entire system
 #
diff --git a/platforms/nexus/platform.mk b/platforms/nexus/platform.mk
index e935d8b..34ea006 100644
--- a/platforms/nexus/platform.mk
+++ b/platforms/nexus/platform.mk
@@ -83,3 +83,6 @@
 	rm -f $(TIMER_HJSON)
 	rm -f $(TIMER_HEADER)
 	rm -f $(TOP_MATCHA_IRQ_HEADER) $(TOP_MATCHA_MEMORY_HEADER)
+
+# Ensure we build verilator as part of tools for this platform
+tools:: verilator
diff --git a/platforms/shodan/platform.mk b/platforms/shodan/platform.mk
index 015c1cc..84f5d6e 100644
--- a/platforms/shodan/platform.mk
+++ b/platforms/shodan/platform.mk
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/platforms/shodan/renode.mk
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/platforms/shodan/riscv_toolchain.mk
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/platforms/shodan/verible.mk
-include $(ROOTDIR)/build/platforms/shodan/verilator.mk
-
 
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/platforms/shodan/cantrip.mk
 include $(ROOTDIR)/build/platforms/shodan/cantrip_builtins.mk
@@ -97,3 +95,6 @@
 	rm -f $(TIMER_HJSON)
 	rm -f $(TIMER_HEADER)
 	rm -f ${TOP_MATCHA_IRQ_HEADER} ${TOP_MATCHA_MEMORY_HEADER}
+
+# Ensure we build verilator as part of the tools for this platform
+tools:: verilator
diff --git a/platforms/shodan/verilator.mk b/verilator.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from platforms/shodan/verilator.mk
rename to verilator.mk