diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index b734ac8a654e..e46b4ee9a120 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ lib-target := $(obj)/lib.a
 real-obj-y += $(obj)/lib-ksyms.o
 endif
 
-ifneq ($(strip $(real-obj-y) $(need-builtin)),)
+ifdef need-builtin
 builtin-target := $(obj)/built-in.a
 endif
 
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.lib b/scripts/Makefile.lib
index 3fa32f83b2d7..724aa3e9b4a8 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.lib
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.lib
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ __subdir-y	:= $(patsubst %/,%,$(filter %/, $(obj-y)))
 subdir-y	+= $(__subdir-y)
 __subdir-m	:= $(patsubst %/,%,$(filter %/, $(obj-m)))
 subdir-m	+= $(__subdir-m)
+ifdef need-builtin
 obj-y		:= $(patsubst %/, %/built-in.a, $(obj-y))
+else
+obj-y		:= $(filter-out %/, $(obj-y))
+endif
 obj-m		:= $(filter-out %/, $(obj-m))
 
 # Subdirectories we need to descend into