diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 82bb9cdf73a3..76dddefde054 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1444,11 +1444,11 @@ endif
 
 tools/: FORCE
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(objtree)/tools
-	$(Q)$(MAKE) LDFLAGS= O=$(abspath $(objtree)) subdir=tools -C $(srctree)/tools/
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) O=$(abspath $(objtree)) subdir=tools -C $(srctree)/tools/
 
 tools/%: FORCE
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(objtree)/tools
-	$(Q)$(MAKE) LDFLAGS= O=$(abspath $(objtree)) subdir=tools -C $(srctree)/tools/ $*
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) O=$(abspath $(objtree)) subdir=tools -C $(srctree)/tools/ $*
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Kernel selftest