diff --git a/build/build.go b/build/build.go
index 7e354ec8a316..daf690c04b37 100644
--- a/build/build.go
+++ b/build/build.go
@@ -607,16 +607,45 @@ func BuildWithResultHandler(ctx context.Context, nodes []builder.Node, opts map[
 						// Capture the error from this build function.
 						defer catchFrontendError(&retErr, &frontendErr)
 
+						rKey := resultKey(dp, k)
+						children := childTargets[rKey]
+
+						// A call method replies with the metadata of the subrequest
+						// instead of a build result, so there would be nothing to link
+						// into the targets using this one as a named context. Solve the
+						// build request on its own in that case and register its result
+						// for them. It is never evaluated, so this only resolves the
+						// definition and does not build anything.
+						linked := false
+						if opt.CallFunc != nil && len(children) > 0 {
+							linkReq := req
+							linkReq.FrontendOpt = maps.Clone(req.FrontendOpt)
+							// checks are reported by the call method below, skip them
+							// here so that this request is not rejected by a Dockerfile
+							// that asks for check violations to be errors
+							linkReq.FrontendOpt["build-arg:BUILDKIT_DOCKERFILE_CHECK"] = "skip=all;error=false"
+							res, err := solve(ctx, c, linkReq)
+							if err != nil {
+								return nil, err
+							}
+							results.Set(rKey, res)
+							linked = true
+						}
+
+						solveReq := req
 						if opt.CallFunc != nil {
-							if _, ok := req.FrontendOpt["frontend.caps"]; !ok {
-								req.FrontendOpt["frontend.caps"] = "moby.buildkit.frontend.subrequests+forward"
+							// keep the initial request untouched, it may have already
+							// been sent for the linked result above
+							solveReq.FrontendOpt = maps.Clone(req.FrontendOpt)
+							if _, ok := solveReq.FrontendOpt["frontend.caps"]; !ok {
+								solveReq.FrontendOpt["frontend.caps"] = "moby.buildkit.frontend.subrequests+forward"
 							} else {
-								req.FrontendOpt["frontend.caps"] += ",moby.buildkit.frontend.subrequests+forward"
+								solveReq.FrontendOpt["frontend.caps"] += ",moby.buildkit.frontend.subrequests+forward"
 							}
-							req.FrontendOpt["requestid"] = "frontend." + opt.CallFunc.Name
+							solveReq.FrontendOpt["requestid"] = "frontend." + opt.CallFunc.Name
 						}
 
-						res, err := solve(ctx, c, req)
+						res, err := solve(ctx, c, solveReq)
 						if err != nil {
 							return nil, err
 						}
@@ -625,11 +654,12 @@ func BuildWithResultHandler(ctx context.Context, nodes []builder.Node, opts map[
 							callRes = res.Metadata
 						}
 
-						rKey := resultKey(dp, k)
-						results.Set(rKey, res)
+						if !linked {
+							results.Set(rKey, res)
+						}
 
 						forceEval := false
-						if children := childTargets[rKey]; len(children) > 0 {
+						if len(children) > 0 {
 							// wait for the child targets to register their LLB before evaluating
 							_, err := results.Get(ctx, children...)
 							if err != nil {
diff --git a/tests/bake.go b/tests/bake.go
index ae26e64bf4b2..b850b0fca2c3 100644
--- a/tests/bake.go
+++ b/tests/bake.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ var bakeTests = []func(t *testing.T, sb integration.Sandbox){
 	testBakeListVariables,
 	testBakeListTypedVariables,
 	testBakeCallCheck,
+	testBakeCallCheckLinkedTargets,
 	testBakeCallCheckFlag,
 	testBakeCallMetadata,
 	testBakeMultiPlatform,
@@ -2450,6 +2451,63 @@ target "validate" {
 	require.Contains(t, out, "ConsistentInstructionCasing")
 }
 
+func testBakeCallCheckLinkedTargets(t *testing.T, sb integration.Sandbox) {
+	dockerfileBuilder := []byte(`
+FROM scratch
+COPY foo /foo
+	`)
+	dockerfileBase := []byte(`
+FROM builder
+COPY foo /bar
+	`)
+	dockerfileApp := []byte(`
+FROM base
+COPy foo /baz
+	`)
+	bakefile := []byte(`
+target "builder" {
+	dockerfile = "builder.Dockerfile"
+}
+
+target "base" {
+	dockerfile = "base.Dockerfile"
+	contexts = {
+		builder = "target:builder"
+	}
+}
+
+target "app" {
+	dockerfile = "app.Dockerfile"
+	contexts = {
+		base = "target:base"
+	}
+}
+`)
+	dir := tmpdir(
+		t,
+		fstest.CreateFile("docker-bake.hcl", bakefile, 0600),
+		fstest.CreateFile("builder.Dockerfile", dockerfileBuilder, 0600),
+		fstest.CreateFile("base.Dockerfile", dockerfileBase, 0600),
+		fstest.CreateFile("app.Dockerfile", dockerfileApp, 0600),
+		fstest.CreateFile("foo", []byte("foo"), 0600),
+	)
+
+	out, err := bakeCmd(
+		sb,
+		withDir(dir),
+		withArgs("app", "--check"),
+	)
+	require.Error(t, err, out)
+
+	// the "target:" contexts must be resolved for the call method instead of
+	// being forwarded to the frontend
+	require.NotContains(t, out, "unsupported context source target")
+
+	// the requested target and the ones it links to are all checked
+	require.Equal(t, 3, strings.Count(out, "Check complete"), out)
+	require.Contains(t, out, "ConsistentInstructionCasing")
+}
+
 func testBakeCallCheckFlag(t *testing.T, sb integration.Sandbox) {
 	dockerfile := []byte(`
 FROM scratch