diff --git a/include/verbose.mk b/include/verbose.mk
index 7d9b3979b..525fbf1c1 100644
--- a/include/verbose.mk
+++ b/include/verbose.mk
@@ -6,13 +6,16 @@
 #
 # $Id:$
 
-export NO_TRACE_MAKE:=$(MAKE) V=99
+ifeq ($(NO_TRACE_MAKE),)
+NO_TRACE_MAKE := $(MAKE) V=99
+export NO_TRACE_MAKE
+endif
 
 ifndef KBUILD_VERBOSE
-  KBUILD_VERBOSE=0
-  ifeq ("$(origin V)", "command line")
-    KBUILD_VERBOSE=$(V)
-  endif
+  KBUILD_VERBOSE:=0
+endif
+ifeq ("$(origin V)", "command line")
+  KBUILD_VERBOSE:=$(V)
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(KBUILD_VERBOSE),99)