diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index be33d758c0f..91de6be9c91 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ export MODVERDIR := $(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD),$(firstword $(KBUILD_EXTMOD))/).tmp_ve
 # Files to ignore in find ... statements
 
 RCS_FIND_IGNORE := \( -name SCCS -o -name BitKeeper -o -name .svn -o -name CVS -o -name .pc -o -name .hg \) -prune -o
-RCS_TAR_IGNORE := --exclude SCCS --exclude BitKeeper --exclude .svn --exclude CVS --exclude .pc --exclude .hg
+export RCS_TAR_IGNORE := --exclude SCCS --exclude BitKeeper --exclude .svn --exclude CVS --exclude .pc --exclude .hg
 
 # ===========================================================================
 # Rules shared between *config targets and build targets