diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 6be72d344..3d8b3e4df 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@
   a single one, also causing problems with erroneous timestamps. Mostly
   affects DoVi NALUs. Fixes #3202.
 
+## Build system changes
+
+* The `tools` sub-directory is now always built. The corresponding `configure`
+  option `--with-tools` has been removed. The `install` target still doesn't
+  install them, though.
+
 
 # Version 61.0.0 "So" 2021-08-30
 
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 37fafc8e7..2624179d5 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ def setup_globals
   }
 
   $build_mkvtoolnix_gui  ||=  c?(:BUILD_GUI)
-  $build_tools           ||=  c?(:BUILD_TOOLS)
 
   $programs                =  %w{mkvmerge mkvinfo mkvextract mkvpropedit}
   $programs                << "mkvtoolnix-gui" if $build_mkvtoolnix_gui
@@ -256,11 +255,10 @@ def define_default_task
   desc "Build everything"
 
   # The applications themselves
-  targets = $applications.clone
+  targets  = $applications.clone
+  targets += $tools.map { |name| "src/tools/#{$application_subdirs[name]}#{name}" + c(:EXEEXT) }
 
-  targets << "apps:tools" if $build_tools
-  targets << "apps:tools:bluray_dump" if $building_for[:windows]
-  targets << "msix-assets"            if $building_for[:windows] && !c(:CONVERT).empty?
+  targets << "msix-assets" if $building_for[:windows] && !c(:CONVERT).empty?
   targets += (c(:ADDITIONAL_TARGETS) || '').split(%r{ +})
 
   # Build the unit tests only if requested
diff --git a/ac/tools.m4 b/ac/tools.m4
deleted file mode 100644
index 3de8cd7bd..000000000
--- a/ac/tools.m4
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-AC_ARG_WITH(tools,[AS_HELP_STRING([--with-tools],[build the tools in the src/tools sub-directory (useful mainly for development)])],
-            [BUILD_TOOLS=yes],[BUILD_TOOLS=no])
-
-AC_SUBST(BUILD_TOOLS)
diff --git a/build-config.in b/build-config.in
index 4c359a708..90c33faac 100644
--- a/build-config.in
+++ b/build-config.in
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ USE_ADDRSAN = @USE_ADDRSAN@
 USE_UBSAN = @USE_UBSAN@
 USE_DVDREAD = @USE_DVDREAD@
 BUILD_GUI = @BUILD_GUI@
-BUILD_TOOLS = @BUILD_TOOLS@
 BUILD_COMPILATION_DATABASE = no
 
 TRANSLATIONS = @TRANSLATIONS@
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4d66ea3d2..d3d1a0bb7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ m4_include(ac/dvdread.m4)
 m4_include(ac/po4a.m4)
 m4_include(ac/translations.m4)
 m4_include(ac/manpages_translations.m4)
-m4_include(ac/tools.m4)
 
 AC_OUTPUT(build-config)