diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 485a11a1985..524fb48fa33 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -382,6 +382,9 @@ RCS_TAR_IGNORE := --exclude SCCS --exclude BitKeeper --exclude .svn --exclude CV
 scripts_basic:
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=scripts/basic
 
+# To avoid any implicit rule to kick in, define an empty command.
+scripts/basic/%: scripts_basic ;
+
 .PHONY: outputmakefile
 # outputmakefile generate a Makefile to be placed in output directory, if
 # using a seperate output directory. This allows convinient use
@@ -444,9 +447,8 @@ ifeq ($(config-targets),1)
 include $(srctree)/arch/$(ARCH)/Makefile
 export KBUILD_DEFCONFIG
 
-config: scripts_basic outputmakefile FORCE
-	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=scripts/kconfig $@
-%config: scripts_basic outputmakefile FORCE
+config %config: scripts_basic outputmakefile FORCE
+	$(Q)mkdir -p include/linux
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=scripts/kconfig $@
 
 else
@@ -854,7 +856,7 @@ include/asm:
 
 # 	Split autoconf.h into include/linux/config/*
 
-include/config/MARKER: include/linux/autoconf.h
+include/config/MARKER: scripts/basic/split-include include/linux/autoconf.h
 	@echo '  SPLIT   include/linux/autoconf.h -> include/config/*'
 	@scripts/basic/split-include include/linux/autoconf.h include/config
 	@touch $@