diff --git a/boot/uboot/uboot.mk b/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
index 39175999ec..d2f241cd8b 100644
--- a/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
+++ b/boot/uboot/uboot.mk
@@ -243,6 +243,18 @@ define UBOOT_BUILD_OMAP_IFT
 		-c $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_OMAP_IFT_CONFIG))
 endef
 
+ifneq ($(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE),)
+define UBOOT_GENERATE_ENV_IMAGE
+	cat $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE_SOURCE)) \
+		>$(@D)/buildroot-env.txt
+	$(HOST_DIR)/bin/mkenvimage -s $(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE_SIZE) \
+		$(if $(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE_REDUNDANT),-r) \
+		$(if $(filter BIG,$(BR2_ENDIAN)),-b) \
+		-o $(BINARIES_DIR)/uboot-env.bin \
+		$(@D)/buildroot-env.txt
+endef
+endif
+
 define UBOOT_INSTALL_IMAGES_CMDS
 	$(foreach f,$(UBOOT_BINS), \
 			cp -dpf $(@D)/$(f) $(BINARIES_DIR)/
@@ -254,12 +266,7 @@ define UBOOT_INSTALL_IMAGES_CMDS
 			cp -dpf $(@D)/$(f) $(BINARIES_DIR)/
 		)
 	)
-	$(if $(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE),
-		cat $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE_SOURCE)) | \
-			$(HOST_DIR)/bin/mkenvimage -s $(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE_SIZE) \
-			$(if $(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_ENVIMAGE_REDUNDANT),-r) \
-			$(if $(filter BIG,$(BR2_ENDIAN)),-b) \
-			-o $(BINARIES_DIR)/uboot-env.bin -)
+	$(UBOOT_GENERATE_ENV_IMAGE)
 	$(if $(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_BOOT_SCRIPT),
 		$(HOST_DIR)/bin/mkimage -C none -A $(MKIMAGE_ARCH) -T script \
 			-d $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_UBOOT_BOOT_SCRIPT_SOURCE)) \