diff --git a/makefiles/git-submodules.mk b/makefiles/git-submodules.mk
index 79809c3..24ad2b0 100644
--- a/makefiles/git-submodules.mk
+++ b/makefiles/git-submodules.mk
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@
 ## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 ## Intent: Checkout submodules required by ci-management
 ## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
-submodule-repo := $(null)
-submodule-repo += global-jjb
-submodule-repo += lf-ansible
-submodule-repo += packer
+submodule-repos := $(null)
+submodule-repos += global-jjb
+submodule-repos += lf-ansible
+submodule-repos += packer
 
 submodule-deps := $(null)
 submodule-deps += submodules#     # named pseudo target
@@ -36,9 +36,14 @@
 
 .PHONY: $(submodule-deps)
 $(submodule-deps):
+	@echo
+	@echo "Checkout dependent submodules"
 	$(GIT) submodule init
 	$(GIT) submodule update
 
+# Abstraction: named target for submodule checkout
+checkout-ci-management-sub-modules: $(submodule-repos)
+
 ## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 ## Intent: Revert sandbox to a pristine state.
 ## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/makefiles/include.mk b/makefiles/include.mk
index 73696d9..18ff197 100644
--- a/makefiles/include.mk
+++ b/makefiles/include.mk
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/consts.mk
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/help/include.mk
 
+include $(ONF_MAKE)/virtualenv.mk#        # lint-{jjb,python} depends on venv
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/lint/include.mk
-include $(ONF_MAKE)/virtualenv.mk
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/git-submodules.mk
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/todo.mk
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/help/variables.mk
diff --git a/makefiles/lint/jjb.mk b/makefiles/lint/jjb.mk
index c85b8b9..ccfa073 100644
--- a/makefiles/lint/jjb.mk
+++ b/makefiles/lint/jjb.mk
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 ##-------------------##
 ##---]  GLOBALS  [---##
 ##-------------------##
+.PHONY: lint-venv
 
 ##-------------------##
 ##---]  TARGETS  [---##
@@ -42,15 +43,18 @@
 lint-jjb-args += --config-xml#                # JJB v3.0 write to OUTPUT/jobname/config.xml
 lint-jjb-args += jjb/#                        # JJB config sources (input)
 
-lint-jjb:
-	jenkins-jobs $(lint-jjb-args)
+lint-jjb-deps := $(null)
+lint-jjb-deps += $(venv-activate-script) 
+lint-jjb-deps += checkout-ci-management-sub-modules
+lint-jjb: $(lint-jjb-deps)
+	$(activate) && { jenkins-jobs $(lint-jjb-args); }
 
 ## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 ## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 help ::
 	@echo '  lint-jjb               Validate jjb job generation'
 ifdef VERBOSE
-	@echo '1    DEBUG=1                lint-jjb --log_level=DEBUG'
+	@echo '    DEBUG=1                lint-jjb --log_level=DEBUG'
 endif
 
 # [EOF]
diff --git a/makefiles/virtualenv.mk b/makefiles/virtualenv.mk
index 9fb5ad9..43a4e67 100644
--- a/makefiles/virtualenv.mk
+++ b/makefiles/virtualenv.mk
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@
 
 $(if $(DEBUG),$(warning ENTER))
 
+##-------------------##
+##---]  GLOBALS  [---##
+##-------------------##
+.PHONY: venv
+
+##------------------##
+##---]  LOCALS  [---##
+##------------------##
 venv-name            ?= .venv
 venv-abs-path        := $(PWD)/$(venv-name)