Ensuring a prerequisite exists for a pattern rule - makefile

Question

I understand that an "explicit" pattern rule will take precedence on its implicit counterpart when its prerequisites can be made.
all: src/foo.o
src/%.o: makefile my_haeder.h src/%.c
echo Do something with those source files
If there is a typo for "my_header.h", the implicit rule for %.o will take precedence. Not only my recipe will not be executed, but touching the prerequisites will not trigger the rule. Actually it is the second point which is of interest for me.
The make documentation offers a verification using static pattern rules:
SET_OF_FILES=src/foo.o
all: src/foo.o
$(SET_OF_FILES): src/%.o: makefile my_haeder.h src/%.c
echo Do something with those source files
This results in:
gmake: *** No rule to make target `src/my_haeder.h', needed by `src/foo.o'. Stop.
Though a larger rule, that solution is nice, as long as I don't have to add a rule for which the stem could overlap:
SET_OF_FILES=src/foo.o src/subsrc/bar.o
all: src/foo.o
$(SET_OF_FILES): src/%.o: makefile my_header.h src/%.c
echo Do something with those source files
$(SET_OF_FILES): src/subsrc/%.o: makefile my_header.h src/subsrc/%.c
echo Do something with those other source files
Which results in:
makefile:8: target `src/foo.o' doesn't match the target pattern
makefile:9: warning: overriding commands for target `src/foo.o'
makefile:6: warning: ignoring old commands for target `src/foo.o'
makefile:9: warning: overriding commands for target `src/subsrc/bar.o'
makefile:6: warning: ignoring old commands for target `src/subsrc/bar.o'
The first message is here because I didn't bother $(filter)ing SET_OF_FILES. I don't know how to solve the next warnings, which for any reviewer would mean "something's wrong".
Is there another (more elegant) way to verify that the prerequisites are actually feasible, in order to avoid dropping the explicit pattern rule?
(using GNU Make 3.79.1 win32)

Answer 1

Add a separate rule to check for your prerequisites
all: prereqs src/foo.o
prereqs: Makefile my_header.h
src/%.o: src/%.c Makefile my_header.h
echo Do something with those source files
src/subsrc/%.o: src/subsrc/%.c Makefile my_header.h
echo Do something with those other source files
which will give you:
make
make: *** No rule to make target 'my_header.h', needed by 'prereqs'. Stop