diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b760de61167d..15f880feaed4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -980,7 +980,6 @@ endif
 ifdef CONFIG_LTO_CLANG
 ifdef CONFIG_LTO_CLANG_THIN
 CC_FLAGS_LTO	:= -flto=thin -fsplit-lto-unit
-KBUILD_LDFLAGS	+= --thinlto-cache-dir=$(extmod_prefix).thinlto-cache
 else
 CC_FLAGS_LTO	:= -flto
 endif
@@ -1588,7 +1587,7 @@ endif # CONFIG_MODULES
 # Directories & files removed with 'make clean'
 CLEAN_FILES += include/ksym vmlinux.symvers modules-only.symvers \
 	       modules.builtin modules.builtin.modinfo modules.nsdeps \
-	       compile_commands.json .thinlto-cache rust/test rust/doc \
+	       compile_commands.json rust/test rust/doc \
 	       .vmlinux.objs .vmlinux.export.c
 
 # Directories & files removed with 'make mrproper'
@@ -1884,7 +1883,7 @@ PHONY += compile_commands.json
 
 clean-dirs := $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)
 clean: rm-files := $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/Module.symvers $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/modules.nsdeps \
-	$(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/compile_commands.json $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/.thinlto-cache
+	$(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/compile_commands.json
 
 PHONY += prepare
 # now expand this into a simple variable to reduce the cost of shell evaluations