diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5cf4eb03fb3e84..d96f56e1bfcda9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ endif # KBUILD_EXTMOD
 clean: $(clean-dirs)
 	$(call cmd,rmdirs)
 	$(call cmd,rmfiles)
-	@find $(or $(KBUILD_EXTMOD), .) $(RCS_FIND_IGNORE) \
+	@find $(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD), $(KBUILD_EXTMOD), .) $(RCS_FIND_IGNORE) \
 		\( -name '*.[oas]' -o -name '*.ko' -o -name '.*.cmd' \
 		-o -name '.*.d' -o -name '.*.tmp' -o -name '*.mod.c' \
 		-o -name '*.symtypes' -o -name 'modules.order' \