diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 858a147fd836..89cee8625651 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -732,19 +732,13 @@ export mod_strip_cmd
 # Select initial ramdisk compression format, default is gzip(1).
 # This shall be used by the dracut(8) tool while creating an initramfs image.
 #
-INITRD_COMPRESS=gzip
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_RD_BZIP2), y)
-        INITRD_COMPRESS=bzip2
-else ifeq ($(CONFIG_RD_LZMA), y)
-        INITRD_COMPRESS=lzma
-else ifeq ($(CONFIG_RD_XZ), y)
-        INITRD_COMPRESS=xz
-else ifeq ($(CONFIG_RD_LZO), y)
-        INITRD_COMPRESS=lzo
-else ifeq ($(CONFIG_RD_LZ4), y)
-        INITRD_COMPRESS=lz4
-endif
-export INITRD_COMPRESS
+INITRD_COMPRESS-y                  := gzip
+INITRD_COMPRESS-$(CONFIG_RD_BZIP2) := bzip2
+INITRD_COMPRESS-$(CONFIG_RD_LZMA)  := lzma
+INITRD_COMPRESS-$(CONFIG_RD_XZ)    := xz
+INITRD_COMPRESS-$(CONFIG_RD_LZO)   := lzo
+INITRD_COMPRESS-$(CONFIG_RD_LZ4)   := lz4
+export INITRD_COMPRESS := $(INITRD_COMPRESS-y)
 
 ifdef CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_ALL
 MODSECKEY = ./signing_key.priv