diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f1e6a02a0c19..32c84577aa93 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -908,6 +908,18 @@ mod_sign_cmd = true
 endif
 export mod_sign_cmd
 
+ifdef CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
+  has_libelf := $(call try-run,\
+		echo "int main() {}" | $(HOSTCC) -xc -o /dev/null -lelf -,1,0)
+  ifeq ($(has_libelf),1)
+    objtool_target := tools/objtool FORCE
+  else
+    $(warning "Cannot use CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION, please install libelf-dev, libelf-devel or elfutils-libelf-devel")
+    SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION := 1
+    export SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION
+  endif
+endif
+
 
 ifeq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
 core-y		+= kernel/ certs/ mm/ fs/ ipc/ security/ crypto/ block/
@@ -1035,18 +1047,6 @@ prepare0: archprepare gcc-plugins
 # All the preparing..
 prepare: prepare0 prepare-objtool
 
-ifdef CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
-  has_libelf := $(call try-run,\
-		echo "int main() {}" | $(HOSTCC) -xc -o /dev/null -lelf -,1,0)
-  ifeq ($(has_libelf),1)
-    objtool_target := tools/objtool FORCE
-  else
-    $(warning "Cannot use CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION, please install libelf-dev, libelf-devel or elfutils-libelf-devel")
-    SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION := 1
-    export SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION
-  endif
-endif
-
 PHONY += prepare-objtool
 prepare-objtool: $(objtool_target)