diff --git a/.circleci/run-tests.sh b/.circleci/run-tests.sh
index 4f4779fd..08b95e68 100755
--- a/.circleci/run-tests.sh
+++ b/.circleci/run-tests.sh
@@ -93,10 +93,10 @@ case $1 in
         make -C $LOCAL_SIM_DIR ${mapping[$1]} BINARY=$LOCAL_CHIPYARD_DIR/tests/nvdla.riscv run-binary
         ;;
     icenet)
-        make run-none-fast -C $LOCAL_SIM_DIR ${mapping[$1]}
+        make run-binary-fast BINARY=none -C $LOCAL_SIM_DIR ${mapping[$1]}
         ;;
     testchipip)
-        make run-none-fast -C $LOCAL_SIM_DIR ${mapping[$1]}
+        make run-binary-fast BINARY=none -C $LOCAL_SIM_DIR ${mapping[$1]}
         ;;
     *)
         echo "No set of tests for $1. Did you spell it right?"
diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 4b5b00f2..5b502cb1 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -137,34 +137,30 @@ verilog: $(sim_vsrcs)
 # helper rules to run simulations
 #########################################################################################
 .PHONY: run-binary run-binary-fast run-binary-debug run-fast
-run-binary: $(sim)
+run-binary: $(output_dir) $(sim)
 	(set -o pipefail && $(sim) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $(BINARY) </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $(sim_out_name).out) | tee $(sim_out_name).log)
 
 #########################################################################################
 # helper rules to run simulator as fast as possible
 #########################################################################################
-run-binary-fast: $(sim)
+run-binary-fast: $(output_dir) $(sim)
 	(set -o pipefail && $(sim) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $(BINARY) </dev/null | tee $(sim_out_name).log)
 
 #########################################################################################
 # helper rules to run simulator with as much debug info as possible
 #########################################################################################
-run-binary-debug: $(sim_debug)
+run-binary-debug: $(output_dir) $(sim_debug)
 	(set -o pipefail && $(sim_debug) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) $(WAVEFORM_FLAG) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $(BINARY) </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $(sim_out_name).out) | tee $(sim_out_name).log)
 
 run-fast: run-asm-tests-fast run-bmark-tests-fast
 
-run-none: $(output_dir)/none.out
-
-run-none-fast: $(output_dir)/none.run
-
-run-none-debug: $(output_dir)/none.vpd
-
 #########################################################################################
 # run assembly/benchmarks rules
 #########################################################################################
-$(output_dir)/%: $(RISCV)/riscv64-unknown-elf/share/riscv-tests/isa/%
-	mkdir -p $(output_dir)
+$(output_dir):
+	mkdir -p $@
+
+$(output_dir)/%: $(RISCV)/riscv64-unknown-elf/share/riscv-tests/isa/% $(output_dir)
 	ln -sf $< $@
 
 $(output_dir)/%.run: $(output_dir)/% $(sim)
@@ -173,14 +169,6 @@ $(output_dir)/%.run: $(output_dir)/% $(sim)
 $(output_dir)/%.out: $(output_dir)/% $(sim)
 	(set -o pipefail && $(sim) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $< </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $@) | tee $<.log)
 
-$(output_dir)/none.run: $(sim)
-	mkdir -p $(output_dir)
-	(set -o pipefail && $(sim) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $< </dev/null | tee $<.log) && touch $@
-
-$(output_dir)/none.out: $(sim)
-	mkdir -p $(output_dir)
-	(set -o pipefail && $(sim) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) none </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $@) | tee $(output_dir)/none.log)
-
 #########################################################################################
 # include build/project specific makefrags made from the generator
 #########################################################################################
diff --git a/sims/vcs/Makefile b/sims/vcs/Makefile
index 83884937..df2dbbe6 100644
--- a/sims/vcs/Makefile
+++ b/sims/vcs/Makefile
@@ -62,10 +62,6 @@ $(sim_debug): $(sim_vsrcs) $(sim_common_files) $(dramsim_lib) $(EXTRA_SIM_REQS)
 $(output_dir)/%.vpd: $(output_dir)/% $(sim_debug)
 	(set -o pipefail && $(sim_debug) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) +vcdplusfile=$@ $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $< </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $<.out) | tee $<.log)
 
-$(output_dir)/none.vpd: $(sim_debug)
-	mkdir -p $(output_dir)
-	(set -o pipefail && $(sim_debug) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) +vcdplusfile=$@ $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) none </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $(output_dir)/none.out) | tee $(output_dir)/none.log)
-
 #########################################################################################
 # general cleanup rule
 #########################################################################################
diff --git a/sims/verilator/Makefile b/sims/verilator/Makefile
index 98df1296..667c856c 100644
--- a/sims/verilator/Makefile
+++ b/sims/verilator/Makefile
@@ -147,12 +147,6 @@ $(output_dir)/%.vpd: $(output_dir)/% $(sim_debug)
 	vcd2vpd $@.vcd $@ > /dev/null &
 	(set -o pipefail && $(sim_debug) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) -v$@.vcd $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $< </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $<.out) | tee $<.log)
 
-$(output_dir)/none.vpd: $(sim_debug)
-	mkdir -p $(output_dir)
-	rm -f $@.vcd && mkfifo $@.vcd
-	vcd2vpd $@.vcd $@ > /dev/null &
-	(set -o pipefail && $(sim_debug) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) -v$@.vcd $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) none </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $(output_dir)/none.out) | tee $(output_dir)/none.log)
-
 #########################################################################################
 # general cleanup rule
 #########################################################################################
diff --git a/variables.mk b/variables.mk
index 61d85e60..1a3623a2 100644
--- a/variables.mk
+++ b/variables.mk
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ PERMISSIVE_OFF=+permissive-off
 BINARY ?=
 override SIM_FLAGS += +dramsim +dramsim_ini_dir=$(TESTCHIP_DIR)/src/main/resources/dramsim2_ini +max-cycles=$(timeout_cycles)
 VERBOSE_FLAGS ?= +verbose
-sim_out_name = $(subst $() $(),_,$(notdir $(basename $(BINARY))).$(long_name))
+sim_out_name = $(output_dir)/$(subst $() $(),_,$(notdir $(basename $(BINARY))))
 
 #########################################################################################
 # build output directory for compilation