--- a/scripts/setlocalversion
+++ b/scripts/setlocalversion
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ if test "$CONFIG_LOCALVERSION_AUTO" = "y
 else
 	# apped a plus sign if the repository is not in a clean tagged
 	# state and  LOCALVERSION= is not specified
-	if test "${LOCALVERSION+set}" != "set"; then
+	if test "${CONFIG_LOCALVERSION+set}" != "set"; then
 		scm=$(scm_version --short)
 		res="$res${scm:++}"
 	fi
