diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a86ac8c4798e..dceb4f19f786 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ endif
 no-dot-config-targets := clean mrproper distclean \
 			 cscope TAGS tags help %docs check% \
 			 include/linux/version.h headers_% \
-			 kernelrelease kernelversion
+			 kernelversion
 
 config-targets := 0
 mixed-targets  := 0
@@ -1395,9 +1395,9 @@ checkstack:
 	$(OBJDUMP) -d vmlinux $$(find . -name '*.ko') | \
 	$(PERL) $(src)/scripts/checkstack.pl $(CHECKSTACK_ARCH)
 
-kernelrelease:
-	$(if $(wildcard include/config/kernel.release), $(Q)echo $(KERNELRELEASE), \
-	$(error kernelrelease not valid - run 'make prepare' to update it))
+kernelrelease: include/config/kernel.release
+	@echo $(KERNELRELEASE)
+
 kernelversion:
 	@echo $(KERNELVERSION)