diff --git a/packages/linux/package.mk b/packages/linux/package.mk
index 3e007b2971..2b56da0963 100644
--- a/packages/linux/package.mk
+++ b/packages/linux/package.mk
@@ -152,7 +152,18 @@ pre_make_target() {
 }
 
 make_target() {
-  kernel_make modules
+  # arm64 target does not support creating uImage.
+  # Build Image first, then wrap it using u-boot's mkimage.
+  if [[ "$TARGET_KERNEL_ARCH" = "arm64" && "$KERNEL_TARGET" = uImage* ]]; then
+    if [ -z "$KERNEL_UIMAGE_LOADADDR" -o -z "$KERNEL_UIMAGE_ENTRYADDR" ]; then
+      die "ERROR: KERNEL_UIMAGE_LOADADDR and KERNEL_UIMAGE_ENTRYADDR have to be set to build uImage - aborting"
+    fi
+    KERNEL_UIMAGE_TARGET="$KERNEL_TARGET"
+    KERNEL_TARGET="${KERNEL_TARGET/uImage/Image}"
+  fi
+
+  kernel_make $KERNEL_TARGET $KERNEL_MAKE_EXTRACMD modules
+
   kernel_make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=$INSTALL/$(get_kernel_overlay_dir) modules_install
   rm -f $INSTALL/$(get_kernel_overlay_dir)/lib/modules/*/build
   rm -f $INSTALL/$(get_kernel_overlay_dir)/lib/modules/*/source
@@ -190,21 +201,6 @@ make_target() {
     )
   fi
 
-  # arm64 target does not support creating uImage.
-  # Build Image first, then wrap it using u-boot's mkimage.
-  if [[ "$TARGET_KERNEL_ARCH" = "arm64" && "$KERNEL_TARGET" = uImage* ]]; then
-    if [ -z "$KERNEL_UIMAGE_LOADADDR" -o -z "$KERNEL_UIMAGE_ENTRYADDR" ]; then
-      die "ERROR: KERNEL_UIMAGE_LOADADDR and KERNEL_UIMAGE_ENTRYADDR have to be set to build uImage - aborting"
-    fi
-    KERNEL_UIMAGE_TARGET="$KERNEL_TARGET"
-    KERNEL_TARGET="${KERNEL_TARGET/uImage/Image}"
-  fi
-
-  # the modules target is required to get a proper Module.symvers
-  # file with symbols from built-in and external modules.
-  # Without that it'll contain only the symbols from the kernel
-  kernel_make $KERNEL_TARGET $KERNEL_MAKE_EXTRACMD modules
-
   if [ -n "$KERNEL_UIMAGE_TARGET" ] ; then
     # determine compression used for kernel image
     KERNEL_UIMAGE_COMP=${KERNEL_UIMAGE_TARGET:7}