diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh b/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh
index d924c51d28b7..bec246719aea 100755
--- a/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/merge_config.sh
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@
 #  Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Wind River Systems, Inc.
 #  Copyright 2011 Linaro
 
+set -e
+
 clean_up() {
 	rm -f $TMP_FILE
 	rm -f $MERGE_FILE
-	exit
 }
-trap clean_up HUP INT TERM
 
 usage() {
 	echo "Usage: $0 [OPTIONS] [CONFIG [...]]"
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ TMP_FILE=$(mktemp ./.tmp.config.XXXXXXXXXX)
 MERGE_FILE=$(mktemp ./.merge_tmp.config.XXXXXXXXXX)
 
 echo "Using $INITFILE as base"
+
+trap clean_up EXIT
+
 cat $INITFILE > $TMP_FILE
 
 # Merge files, printing warnings on overridden values
@@ -155,7 +158,6 @@ if [ "$RUNMAKE" = "false" ]; then
 	echo "#"
 	echo "# merged configuration written to $KCONFIG_CONFIG (needs make)"
 	echo "#"
-	clean_up
 	exit
 fi
 
@@ -185,5 +187,3 @@ for CFG in $(sed -n -e "$SED_CONFIG_EXP1" -e "$SED_CONFIG_EXP2" $TMP_FILE); do
 		echo ""
 	fi
 done
-
-clean_up