diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 96b32e5bb97..aa608c2959f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -492,7 +492,6 @@ $(KCONFIG_CONFIG) include/config/auto.conf.cmd: ;
 # if auto.conf.cmd is missing then we are probably in a cleaned tree so
 # we execute the config step to be sure to catch updated Kconfig files
 include/config/auto.conf: $(KCONFIG_CONFIG) include/config/auto.conf.cmd
-	$(Q)mkdir -p include/generated
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile silentoldconfig
 else
 # external modules needs include/generated/autoconf.h and include/config/auto.conf
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
index 80599e3a799..999e8a7d5bf 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ oldconfig: $(obj)/conf
 	$< -o $(Kconfig)
 
 silentoldconfig: $(obj)/conf
+	$(Q)mkdir -p include/generated
 	$< -s $(Kconfig)
 
 localmodconfig: $(obj)/streamline_config.pl $(obj)/conf