diff --git a/include/target.mk b/include/target.mk
index 8f072d0cd8..c8eb76c254 100644
--- a/include/target.mk
+++ b/include/target.mk
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/kernel-version.mk
 GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR := $(TOPDIR)/target/linux/generic-$(KERNEL)
 GENERIC_PATCH_DIR := $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/patches$(shell [ -d "$(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/patches-$(KERNEL_PATCHVER)" ] && printf -- "-$(KERNEL_PATCHVER)" || true )
 
-GENERIC_LINUX_CONFIG:=$(firstword $(wildcard $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/config-$(KERNEL_PATCHVER) $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/config-default))
+GENERIC_LINUX_CONFIG?=$(firstword $(wildcard $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/config-$(KERNEL_PATCHVER) $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/config-default))
 LINUX_CONFIG?=$(firstword $(wildcard $(foreach subdir,$(PLATFORM_DIR) $(PLATFORM_SUBDIR),$(subdir)/config-$(KERNEL_PATCHVER) $(subdir)/config-default)))
 LINUX_SUBCONFIG?=$(firstword $(wildcard $(PLATFORM_SUBDIR)/config-$(KERNEL_PATCHVER) $(PLATFORM_SUBDIR)/config-default))
 ifeq ($(LINUX_CONFIG),$(LINUX_SUBCONFIG))