diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a1ea84dfdde6..52ea534f5173 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -799,8 +799,8 @@ KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-option, -fno-inline-functions-called-once)
 endif
 
 ifdef CONFIG_LD_DEAD_CODE_DATA_ELIMINATION
-KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= $(call cc-option,-ffunction-sections,)
-KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= $(call cc-option,-fdata-sections,)
+KBUILD_CFLAGS_KERNEL	+= $(call cc-option,-ffunction-sections,)
+KBUILD_CFLAGS_KERNEL	+= $(call cc-option,-fdata-sections,)
 endif
 
 # arch Makefile may override CC so keep this after arch Makefile is included