diff --git a/makesure.awk b/makesure.awk
index 94ad78e..2627969 100755
--- a/makesure.awk
+++ b/makesure.awk
@@ -391,19 +391,6 @@ body,goalBody,goalBodies,resolvedGoals,exitCode, t0,t1,t2, goalTimed, list) {
       }
 
       goalBody[0] = ""
-      if (!("silent" in Options)) {
-        addStr(goalBody, "echo \"  goal '" goalName "' ")
-        if (reachedGoals[goalName])
-          addStr(goalBody, "[already satisfied].")
-        else if (emptyGoals[goalName])
-          addStr(goalBody, "[empty].")
-        else
-          addStr(goalBody, "...")
-        addStr(goalBody, "\"")
-      }
-      if (reachedGoals[goalName])
-        addLine(goalBody, "exit 0")
-
       addLine(goalBody, definesLine[0])
       if (goalName in GoalToLib)
         addLine(goalBody, Lib[GoalToLib[goalName]])
@@ -428,7 +415,11 @@ body,goalBody,goalBodies,resolvedGoals,exitCode, t0,t1,t2, goalTimed, list) {
         goalTimed = "timing" in Options && !reachedGoals[goalName] && !emptyGoals[goalName]
         if (goalTimed)
           t1 = t2 ? t2 : currentTimeMillis()
-        exitCode = shellExec(goalBodies[goalName])
+
+        if (!("silent" in Options))
+          print "  goal '" goalName "' " (reachedGoals[goalName] ? "[already satisfied]." : emptyGoals[goalName] ? "[empty]." : "...")
+
+        exitCode = (reachedGoals[goalName] || emptyGoals[goalName]) ? 0 : shellExec(goalBodies[goalName])
         if (exitCode != 0)
           print "  goal '" goalName "' failed"
         if (goalTimed) {
diff --git a/tests/18_empty_prelude.tush b/tests/18_empty_prelude.tush
index cdbd08e..36e94eb 100644
--- a/tests/18_empty_prelude.tush
+++ b/tests/18_empty_prelude.tush
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; PATH=tests/wrapper/bash:$PATH ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_empty_prelude.sh
-| running bash
 |   goal 'default' ...
+| running bash
 | hello
diff --git a/tests/20_optimize_goals.sh b/tests/20_optimize_goals.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ce1c40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/20_optimize_goals.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+
+@goal hello
+  echo "Hello world"
+
+@goal hello_empty
+@depends_on hello
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/20_optimize_goals.tush b/tests/20_optimize_goals.tush
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22fdfac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/20_optimize_goals.tush
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+
+$ cd "$MYDIR"; PATH=tests/wrapper/bash:$PATH ./$MAKESURE -f tests/20_optimize_goals.sh hello_empty
+|   goal 'hello' ...
+| running bash
+| Hello world
+|   goal 'hello_empty' [empty].