diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c830d7a46c..32d4441697 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -791,9 +791,11 @@ endif # CONFIG_WIN
 
 # Add a dependency on the generated files, so that they are always
 # rebuilt before other object files
+ifneq ($(wildcard config-host.mak),)
 ifneq ($(filter-out $(UNCHECKED_GOALS),$(MAKECMDGOALS)),$(if $(MAKECMDGOALS),,fail))
 Makefile: $(GENERATED_FILES)
 endif
+endif
 
 .SECONDARY: $(TRACE_HEADERS) $(TRACE_HEADERS:%=%-timestamp) \
 	$(TRACE_SOURCES) $(TRACE_SOURCES:%=%-timestamp) \