diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6744909b345f..4781b534873b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1008,11 +1008,14 @@ clean: rm-dirs  := $(CLEAN_DIRS)
 clean: rm-files := $(CLEAN_FILES)
 clean-dirs      := $(addprefix _clean_, . $(vmlinux-alldirs) Documentation samples)
 
-PHONY += $(clean-dirs) clean archclean
+PHONY += $(clean-dirs) clean archclean vmlinuxclean
 $(clean-dirs):
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(clean)=$(patsubst _clean_%,%,$@)
 
-clean: archclean
+vmlinuxclean:
+	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh clean
+
+clean: archclean vmlinuxclean
 
 # mrproper - Delete all generated files, including .config
 #
@@ -1239,7 +1242,6 @@ scripts: ;
 endif # KBUILD_EXTMOD
 
 clean: $(clean-dirs)
-	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh clean
 	$(call cmd,rmdirs)
 	$(call cmd,rmfiles)
 	@find $(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD), $(KBUILD_EXTMOD), .) $(RCS_FIND_IGNORE) \