diff --git a/boot/uboot/uboot.mk b/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
index a4879bb8b2..1f444351d7 100644
--- a/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
+++ b/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ UBOOT_LICENSE_FILES = Licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
 
 UBOOT_INSTALL_IMAGES = YES
 
+# u-boot 2020.01+ needs make 4.0+
+UBOOT_DEPENDENCIES = $(BR2_MAKE_HOST_DEPENDENCY)
+
 ifeq ($(UBOOT_VERSION),custom)
 # Handle custom U-Boot tarballs as specified by the configuration
 UBOOT_TARBALL = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_CUSTOM_TARBALL_LOCATION))
@@ -242,7 +245,7 @@ UBOOT_POST_PATCH_HOOKS += UBOOT_FIXUP_LIBFDT_INCLUDE
 ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_BUILD_SYSTEM_LEGACY),y)
 define UBOOT_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 	$(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(@D) $(UBOOT_MAKE_OPTS) \
+		$(BR2_MAKE) -C $(@D) $(UBOOT_MAKE_OPTS) \
 		$(UBOOT_BOARD_NAME)_config
 endef
 else ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_BUILD_SYSTEM_KCONFIG),y)
@@ -279,7 +282,7 @@ define UBOOT_BUILD_CMDS
 		cp -f $(UBOOT_CUSTOM_DTS_PATH) $(@D)/arch/$(UBOOT_ARCH)/dts/
 	)
 	$(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(@D) $(UBOOT_MAKE_OPTS) \
+		$(BR2_MAKE) -C $(@D) $(UBOOT_MAKE_OPTS) \
 		$(UBOOT_MAKE_TARGET)
 	$(if $(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_FORMAT_SD),
 		$(@D)/tools/mxsboot sd $(@D)/u-boot.sb $(@D)/u-boot.sd)