diff --git a/arch/sh/Makefile b/arch/sh/Makefile
index 46edf070da1c..dbf887edabd4 100644
--- a/arch/sh/Makefile
+++ b/arch/sh/Makefile
@@ -114,11 +114,11 @@ endif
 
 ifdef CONFIG_CPU_LITTLE_ENDIAN
 ld-bfd			:= elf32-$(UTS_MACHINE)-linux
-LDFLAGS_vmlinux		+= --defsym 'jiffies=jiffies_64' --oformat $(ld-bfd)
+LDFLAGS_vmlinux		+= --defsym jiffies=jiffies_64 --oformat $(ld-bfd)
 LDFLAGS			+= -EL
 else
 ld-bfd			:= elf32-$(UTS_MACHINE)big-linux
-LDFLAGS_vmlinux		+= --defsym 'jiffies=jiffies_64+4' --oformat $(ld-bfd)
+LDFLAGS_vmlinux		+= --defsym jiffies=jiffies_64+4 --oformat $(ld-bfd)
 LDFLAGS			+= -EB
 endif