diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9eea3c0424db..edc1269ee24c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -171,8 +171,7 @@ $(filter-out _all sub-make $(CURDIR)/Makefile, $(MAKECMDGOALS)) _all: sub-make
 	@:
 
 sub-make: FORCE
-	$(if $(KBUILD_VERBOSE:1=),@)$(MAKE) -C $(KBUILD_OUTPUT) \
-	KBUILD_SRC=$(CURDIR) \
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(KBUILD_OUTPUT) KBUILD_SRC=$(CURDIR) \
 	KBUILD_EXTMOD="$(KBUILD_EXTMOD)" -f $(CURDIR)/Makefile \
 	$(filter-out _all sub-make,$(MAKECMDGOALS))