diff --git a/docs/manual/adding-packages-linux-kernel-spec-infra.txt b/docs/manual/adding-packages-linux-kernel-spec-infra.txt
index 6deb6d4c1d..b948e208da 100644
--- a/docs/manual/adding-packages-linux-kernel-spec-infra.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/adding-packages-linux-kernel-spec-infra.txt
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ Unlike other packages, the +linux-tools+ package options appear in the
 +linux+ kernel menu, under the `Linux Kernel Tools` sub-menu, not under
 the `Target packages` main menu.
 
-Then for each linux tool, add a new +.mk+ file named
-+package/linux-tools/linux-tool-foo.mk+. It would basically look like:
+Then for each linux tool, add a new +.mk.in+ file named
++package/linux-tools/linux-tool-foo.mk.in+. It would basically look like:
 
 ------------------------------
 01: ################################################################################
diff --git a/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-cpupower.mk b/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-cpupower.mk.in
similarity index 100%
rename from package/linux-tools/linux-tool-cpupower.mk
rename to package/linux-tools/linux-tool-cpupower.mk.in
diff --git a/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-gpio.mk b/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-gpio.mk.in
similarity index 100%
rename from package/linux-tools/linux-tool-gpio.mk
rename to package/linux-tools/linux-tool-gpio.mk.in
diff --git a/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-iio.mk b/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-iio.mk.in
similarity index 100%
rename from package/linux-tools/linux-tool-iio.mk
rename to package/linux-tools/linux-tool-iio.mk.in
diff --git a/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-perf.mk b/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-perf.mk.in
similarity index 100%
rename from package/linux-tools/linux-tool-perf.mk
rename to package/linux-tools/linux-tool-perf.mk.in
diff --git a/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-selftests.mk b/package/linux-tools/linux-tool-selftests.mk.in
similarity index 100%
rename from package/linux-tools/linux-tool-selftests.mk
rename to package/linux-tools/linux-tool-selftests.mk.in
diff --git a/package/linux-tools/linux-tools.mk b/package/linux-tools/linux-tools.mk
index 7fa8d194c6..ac4da59b17 100644
--- a/package/linux-tools/linux-tools.mk
+++ b/package/linux-tools/linux-tools.mk
@@ -10,15 +10,14 @@
 #
 # So, all tools refer to $(LINUX_DIR) instead of $(@D).
 
-# Note: we need individual tools .mk files to be included *before* this one
-# to guarantee that each tool has a chance to register itself before we build
-# the list of build and install hooks, below.
-#
-# This is currently guaranteed by the naming of each file:
-# - they get included by the top-level Makefile, with $(sort $(wildcard ...))
-# - make's $(sort) function will aways sort in the C locale
-# - the files names correctly sort out in the C locale so that each tool's
-#   .mk file is included before this one.
+# Note: we need individual tools makefiles to be included *before* we build
+# the list of build and install hooks below to guarantee that each tool has
+# a chance to register itself once, and only once. Therefore, the makefiles
+# are named linux-tool-*.mk.in, so they won't be picked up by the top-level
+# Makefile, but can be included here, guaranteeing the single inclusion and
+# the proper ordering.
+
+include $(sort $(wildcard package/linux-tools/*.mk.in))
 
 # We only need the kernel to be extracted, not actually built
 LINUX_TOOLS_PATCH_DEPENDENCIES = linux