Make dependency on a directory without regards to timestamp

[Doug]

Hi,

Is there a way with GNU make to specify a dependency on the existence
of a directory while ignoring the timestamp of the directory?

Specifically, say I have the following makefile:

default: myfile
myfile: mydir
        touch mydir/myfile
mydir:
        mkdir -p mydir

If I make using this makefile it is never up to date. :(

I need the dependency on the directory so that it exists when the
touch is executed. But the touch updates the timestamp of the
directory so if I call make again it executes the touch again.  I
simply want myfile to depend on the existence of mydir.

I know I could just put the mkdir under the myfile rule, but my actual
scenario isn't this straightforward. I am calling another program to
create the directory and don't want to call it every time.

Thanks,
-Doug