diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 73e4c0063..147f04a1a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -338,17 +338,17 @@ NEW_DEVELOP = $(eval DEVELOP=develop/$$(DATE))
 new-develop:
 	$(NEW_DEVELOP)
 	mkdir -p $(DEVELOP)
-	$(MAKE) .current-develop
+	$(MAKE) develop/.current
 .PHONY: --develop
 --develop:
 	if ! [[ -e develop ]]; then \
 	  $(MAKE) new-develop; \
 	fi
-	$(MAKE) .current-develop
-.PHONY: .current-develop
-.current-develop:
+	$(MAKE) develop/.current
+.PHONY: develop/.current
+develop/.current:
 	$(SET_DEVELOP)
-	echo "$(DEVELOP)" > .current-develop
+	echo "$(DEVELOP)" > develop/.current
 
 start: develop start-database start-memcached start-minio start-frontend start-backend;
 
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ start-frontend:  WATCH = false
 # TODO: abort with error if a singleton service is already running
 start-%: FRADRIVE_SERVICE = %
 start-%: PORTS = $(foreach PORT,$(BASE_PORTS),$(shell utils/next_free_port.pl $(PORT)))
-start-%: --ensure-develop
+start-%: --develop
 	echo "$*"
 	echo "$(DATE)"
 	echo "DEV $(DEVELOP)"