diff --git a/auto/make b/auto/make
index 2468ea39e..4320f6299 100644
--- a/auto/make
+++ b/auto/make
@@ -15,19 +15,20 @@ PP_AR		:= @echo '  AR    '
 PP_LD		:= @echo '  LD    '
 PP_VER		:= @echo '  VER   '
 PP_SED		:= @echo '  SED   '
+PP_CR		:= @echo '  CR    '
 
 CC =			$CC
 AR =			$AR
 
 EXTRA_CFLAGS =
 CFLAGS = 		$NXT_CFLAGS $NXT_CC_OPT $CFLAGS \$(EXTRA_CFLAGS)
-RUST_FLAGS =
-NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC =
 
 NXT_EXEC_LINK =		$NXT_EXEC_LINK $NXT_LD_OPT
 NXT_SHARED_LOCAL_LINK =	$NXT_SHARED_LOCAL_LINK $NXT_LD_OPT
 NXT_MODULE_LINK =	$NXT_MODULE_LINK
 
+NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC =
+
 all: $NXT_DAEMON manpage
 
 .PHONY: $NXT_DAEMON manpage
@@ -37,6 +38,18 @@ manpage: $NXT_BUILD_DIR/share/man/man8/unitd.8
 END
 
 
+if [ $NXT_OTEL = YES ]; then
+
+	cat << END >> $NXT_MAKEFILE
+
+RUST_FLAGS =		--release
+NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC =	$NXT_BUILD_DIR/lib/libotel.a
+
+END
+
+fi
+
+
 NXT_OS=$(uname -s)
 NXT_GNU_MAKE=$(make --version | grep GNU || true)
 
@@ -63,9 +76,7 @@ D := 0
 
 ifeq (\$D,1)
         CFLAGS += -O0
-        RUST_FLAGS += --debug
-else
-        RUST_FLAGS += --release
+        RUST_FLAGS =
 endif
 
 # Optionally disable -Werror with
@@ -80,18 +91,6 @@ END
 
 fi
 
-# potentially set otel lib location
-if [ $NXT_OTEL = YES ]; then
-cat << END >> $NXT_MAKEFILE
-
-ifeq (\$D,1)
-	NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC = $NXT_OTEL_LIB_DIR/target/debug/libotel.a
-else
-	NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC = $NXT_OTEL_LIB_DIR/target/release/libotel.a
-endif
-
-END
-fi
 
 # The include paths list.
 
@@ -587,6 +586,9 @@ NXT_OTEL_DEPS=" \
     cat << END >> $NXT_MAKEFILE
 
 \$(NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC): $NXT_OTEL_DEPS
-	cargo build \$(RUST_FLAGS) --manifest-path $NXT_OTEL_LIB_DIR/Cargo.toml
+	\$(PP_CR) \$@
+	\$(v)cargo rustc \$(RUST_FLAGS) \\
+		--manifest-path $NXT_OTEL_LIB_DIR/Cargo.toml \\
+		-- --emit link=../../$NXT_BUILD_DIR/lib/libotel.a
 END
 fi