diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index e46b4ee9a120..a562d695f0fa 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ $(obj)/%.asn1.c $(obj)/%.asn1.h: $(src)/%.asn1 $(objtree)/scripts/asn1_compiler
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # To build objects in subdirs, we need to descend into the directories
-$(sort $(subdir-obj-y)): $(subdir-ym) ;
+$(obj)/%/built-in.a: $(obj)/% ;
 
 #
 # Rule to compile a set of .o files into one .a file (without symbol table)