diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b53e7e6..516a9ba 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 
+var_a = a
 
-makedir := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
-$(warning makedir1=$(makedir))
-
-include dir1/Makefile
-makedir := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
-$(warning makedir3=$(makedir))
+export var_a 
 
+all:
+	make -C dir1
+	echo "Get var_a=$(var_a)"
diff --git a/dir1/Makefile b/dir1/Makefile
index 0da385b..63c16f1 100644
--- a/dir1/Makefile
+++ b/dir1/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 
 
-makedir := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
-$(warning makedir2=$(makedir))
+$(warning var_a=$(var_a))
+var_a = b
 
+all:
+	echo "set var_a=b"