diff --git a/scripts/kernel-doc b/scripts/kernel-doc
index a325a0c890d..e5bf649e516 100755
--- a/scripts/kernel-doc
+++ b/scripts/kernel-doc
@@ -337,6 +337,7 @@ sub get_kernel_version() {
     }
     return $version;
 }
+my $kernelversion = get_kernel_version();
 
 # generate a sequence of code that will splice in highlighting information
 # using the s// operator.
@@ -610,7 +611,7 @@ sub output_function_xml(%) {
     print "<refmeta>\n";
     print " <refentrytitle><phrase>".$args{'function'}."</phrase></refentrytitle>\n";
     print " <manvolnum>9</manvolnum>\n";
-    print " <refmiscinfo class=\"version\">" . get_kernel_version() . "</refmiscinfo>\n";
+    print " <refmiscinfo class=\"version\">" . $kernelversion . "</refmiscinfo>\n";
     print "</refmeta>\n";
     print "<refnamediv>\n";
     print " <refname>".$args{'function'}."</refname>\n";
@@ -687,7 +688,7 @@ sub output_struct_xml(%) {
     print "<refmeta>\n";
     print " <refentrytitle><phrase>".$args{'type'}." ".$args{'struct'}."</phrase></refentrytitle>\n";
     print " <manvolnum>9</manvolnum>\n";
-    print " <refmiscinfo class=\"version\">" . get_kernel_version() . "</refmiscinfo>\n";
+    print " <refmiscinfo class=\"version\">" . $kernelversion . "</refmiscinfo>\n";
     print "</refmeta>\n";
     print "<refnamediv>\n";
     print " <refname>".$args{'type'}." ".$args{'struct'}."</refname>\n";
@@ -772,7 +773,7 @@ sub output_enum_xml(%) {
     print "<refmeta>\n";
     print " <refentrytitle><phrase>enum ".$args{'enum'}."</phrase></refentrytitle>\n";
     print " <manvolnum>9</manvolnum>\n";
-    print " <refmiscinfo class=\"version\">" . get_kernel_version() . "</refmiscinfo>\n";
+    print " <refmiscinfo class=\"version\">" . $kernelversion . "</refmiscinfo>\n";
     print "</refmeta>\n";
     print "<refnamediv>\n";
     print " <refname>enum ".$args{'enum'}."</refname>\n";