diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0f438aaeb6e7..0e1f6c3f00a2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -628,8 +628,14 @@ ifeq ($(may-sync-config),1)
 # because some architectures define CROSS_COMPILE there.
 -include include/config/auto.conf.cmd
 
-# To avoid any implicit rule to kick in, define an empty command
-$(KCONFIG_CONFIG): ;
+$(KCONFIG_CONFIG):
+	@echo >&2 '***'
+	@echo >&2 '*** Configuration file "$@" not found!'
+	@echo >&2 '***'
+	@echo >&2 '*** Please run some configurator (e.g. "make oldconfig" or'
+	@echo >&2 '*** "make menuconfig" or "make xconfig").'
+	@echo >&2 '***'
+	@/bin/false
 
 # The actual configuration files used during the build are stored in
 # include/generated/ and include/config/. Update them if .config is newer than
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/conf.c b/scripts/kconfig/conf.c
index da89ef788a8d..ef3678c24bab 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/conf.c
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/conf.c
@@ -488,7 +488,6 @@ int main(int ac, char **av)
 	const char *progname = av[0];
 	int opt;
 	const char *name, *defconfig_file = NULL /* gcc uninit */;
-	struct stat tmpstat;
 	int no_conf_write = 0;
 
 	tty_stdio = isatty(0) && isatty(1);
@@ -560,18 +559,6 @@ int main(int ac, char **av)
 	name = av[optind];
 	conf_parse(name);
 	//zconfdump(stdout);
-	if (sync_kconfig) {
-		name = conf_get_configname();
-		if (stat(name, &tmpstat)) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "***\n"
-				"*** Configuration file \"%s\" not found!\n"
-				"***\n"
-				"*** Please run some configurator (e.g. \"make oldconfig\" or\n"
-				"*** \"make menuconfig\" or \"make xconfig\").\n"
-				"***\n", name);
-			exit(1);
-		}
-	}
 
 	switch (input_mode) {
 	case defconfig: