diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index e2959f75b..1e031e0ff 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -294,8 +294,12 @@ use_default := 1
 
 build-pkgs:
 ifneq (${MULTICALL}, y)
+ifdef BUILD_SPEC_FEATURE
+	${CARGO} build ${CARGOFLAGS} --features "$(BUILD_SPEC_FEATURE)" ${PROFILE_CMD} $(foreach pkg,$(EXES),-p uu_$(pkg))
+else
 	${CARGO} build ${CARGOFLAGS} ${PROFILE_CMD} $(foreach pkg,$(EXES),-p uu_$(pkg))
 endif
+endif
 
 build-coreutils:
 	${CARGO} build ${CARGOFLAGS} --features "${EXES} $(BUILD_SPEC_FEATURE)" ${PROFILE_CMD} --no-default-features