diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
index d566bced135e..804ade95929f 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ LIBBPF = $(LIBBPF_PATH)libbpf.a
 LIBBPF_BOOTSTRAP_OUTPUT = $(BOOTSTRAP_OUTPUT)libbpf/
 LIBBPF_BOOTSTRAP = $(LIBBPF_BOOTSTRAP_OUTPUT)libbpf.a
 
-BPFTOOL_VERSION ?= $(shell make -rR --no-print-directory -sC ../../.. kernelversion)
+ifeq ($(BPFTOOL_VERSION),)
+BPFTOOL_VERSION := $(shell make -rR --no-print-directory -sC ../../.. kernelversion)
+endif
 
 $(LIBBPF_OUTPUT) $(BOOTSTRAP_OUTPUT) $(LIBBPF_BOOTSTRAP_OUTPUT):
 	$(QUIET_MKDIR)mkdir -p $@