diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 659a7780aeb3..ae07c704ba6f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -579,10 +579,9 @@ ifeq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
 # To avoid any implicit rule to kick in, define an empty command
 $(KCONFIG_CONFIG) include/config/auto.conf.cmd: ;
 
-# If .config is newer than include/config/auto.conf, someone tinkered
-# with it and forgot to run make oldconfig.
-# if auto.conf.cmd is missing then we are probably in a cleaned tree so
-# we execute the config step to be sure to catch updated Kconfig files
+# The actual configuration files used during the build are stored in
+# include/generated/ and include/config/. Update them if .config is newer than
+# include/config/auto.conf (which mirrors .config).
 include/config/%.conf: $(KCONFIG_CONFIG) include/config/auto.conf.cmd
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile silentoldconfig
 else