diff --git a/samples/geos/Makefile b/samples/geos/Makefile
index 0bf862ca7..e792c52f1 100644
--- a/samples/geos/Makefile
+++ b/samples/geos/Makefile
@@ -84,10 +84,12 @@ else
 samples:
   ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 	@echo "info: geos samples not available for" $(SYS)
+  else
+# suppress the "nothing to be done for 'samples' message
+	@echo > $(NULLDEV)
   endif
 endif
 
-	
 bitmap.c: logo.pcx
 	$(SP) -r logo.pcx -c geos-bitmap -w bitmap.c,ident=bitmap
 
diff --git a/samples/geos/grc/Makefile b/samples/geos/grc/Makefile
index 4ad4f00a6..9dd9ebc5e 100644
--- a/samples/geos/grc/Makefile
+++ b/samples/geos/grc/Makefile
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ else
 samples:
   ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 	@echo "info: grc sample not available for" $(SYS)
+  else
+# suppress the "nothing to be done for 'samples' message
+	@echo > $(NULLDEV)
   endif
 endif
 
diff --git a/samples/tutorial/Makefile b/samples/tutorial/Makefile
index 911988db5..af5062588 100644
--- a/samples/tutorial/Makefile
+++ b/samples/tutorial/Makefile
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ hello: hello.c text.s
 notavailable:
 ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 	@echo "info: tutorial sample not available for" $(SYS)
+else
+# suppress the "nothing to be done for 'samples' message
+	@echo > $(NULLDEV)
 endif
 
 clean: