diff --git a/package/linux-backports/linux-backports.mk b/package/linux-backports/linux-backports.mk
index 58cd50f2c4..6f599a8a85 100644
--- a/package/linux-backports/linux-backports.mk
+++ b/package/linux-backports/linux-backports.mk
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ LINUX_BACKPORTS_MODULE_MAKE_OPTS = $(LINUX_BACKPORTS_MAKE_OPTS)
 # generated by running silentoldconfig, but that's not the case for
 # linux-backports: it uses a hand-crafted rule to generate that file.
 define LINUX_BACKPORTS_KCONFIG_FIXUP_CMDS
-	$(MAKE) -C $(@D) $(LINUX_BACKPORTS_MAKE_OPTS) backport-include/backport/autoconf.h
+	$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) -C $(@D) $(LINUX_BACKPORTS_MAKE_OPTS) backport-include/backport/autoconf.h
 endef
 
 # Checks to give errors that the user can understand