diff --git a/include/kernel-build.mk b/include/kernel-build.mk
index 089753e3a..477c9eedd 100644
--- a/include/kernel-build.mk
+++ b/include/kernel-build.mk
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ ifneq ($(DUMP),1)
   all: compile
 endif
 
+export QUILT=1
 STAMP_PREPARED:=$(LINUX_DIR)/.prepared
 STAMP_CONFIGURED:=$(LINUX_DIR)/.configured
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/download.mk
diff --git a/include/kernel-defaults.mk b/include/kernel-defaults.mk
index d5cf1202b..90761bf01 100644
--- a/include/kernel-defaults.mk
+++ b/include/kernel-defaults.mk
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ ifeq ($(strip $(CONFIG_EXTERNAL_KERNEL_TREE)),"")
 define Kernel/Prepare/Default
 	bzcat $(DL_DIR)/$(LINUX_SOURCE) | $(TAR) -C $(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR) $(TAR_OPTIONS)
 	$(Kernel/Patch)
-	$(if $(QUILT),touch $(LINUX_DIR)/.quilt_used)
+	touch $(LINUX_DIR)/.quilt_used
 endef
 else
 define Kernel/Prepare/Default
diff --git a/include/quilt.mk b/include/quilt.mk
index ffc5850d8..07bab8b44 100644
--- a/include/quilt.mk
+++ b/include/quilt.mk
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ define Build/Patch/Default
 endef
 
 define Kernel/Patch/Default
-	$(if $(QUILT),rm -rf $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches; mkdir -p $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches)
+	rm -rf $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches; mkdir -p $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches
 	if [ -d $(GENERIC_FILES_DIR) ]; then $(CP) $(GENERIC_FILES_DIR)/* $(LINUX_DIR)/; fi
 	if [ -d $(FILES_DIR) ]; then \
 		$(CP) $(FILES_DIR)/* $(LINUX_DIR)/; \