diff --git a/arch/alpha/Makefile b/arch/alpha/Makefile
index b3314e0dcb6f..12dee59b011c 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/Makefile
+++ b/arch/alpha/Makefile
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@
 # Copyright (C) 1994 by Linus Torvalds
 #
 
-KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := defconfig
-
 NM := $(NM) -B
 
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux	:= -static -N #-relax
diff --git a/arch/arm64/Makefile b/arch/arm64/Makefile
index 8fbd583b18e1..7a45899db25b 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm64/Makefile
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ LDFLAGS_vmlinux	+= --fix-cortex-a53-843419
   endif
 endif
 
-KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := defconfig
-
 # Check for binutils support for specific extensions
 lseinstr := $(call as-instr,.arch_extension lse,-DCONFIG_AS_LSE=1)
 
diff --git a/arch/csky/Makefile b/arch/csky/Makefile
index f9aab9157c4a..fb1bbbd91954 100644
--- a/arch/csky/Makefile
+++ b/arch/csky/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
 OBJCOPYFLAGS		:=-O binary
 GZFLAGS			:=-9
-KBUILD_DEFCONFIG	:= defconfig
 
 ifdef CONFIG_CPU_HAS_FPU
 FPUEXT = f
diff --git a/arch/nds32/Makefile b/arch/nds32/Makefile
index 14dab5ad88ef..ccdca7142020 100644
--- a/arch/nds32/Makefile
+++ b/arch/nds32/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux	:= --no-undefined -X
 OBJCOPYFLAGS	:= -O binary -R .note -R .note.gnu.build-id -R .comment -S
 
-KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := defconfig
-
 ifdef CONFIG_FUNCTION_TRACER
 arch-y += -malways-save-lp -mno-relax
 endif
diff --git a/arch/riscv/Makefile b/arch/riscv/Makefile
index 6b0741c9f348..f8b3b07e4247 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/Makefile
+++ b/arch/riscv/Makefile
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ endif
 KBUILD_AFLAGS_MODULE += -fPIC
 KBUILD_CFLAGS_MODULE += -fPIC
 
-KBUILD_DEFCONFIG = defconfig
-
 export BITS
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_ARCH_RV64I),y)
 	BITS := 64
diff --git a/arch/s390/Makefile b/arch/s390/Makefile
index de8521fc9de5..df1d6a150f30 100644
--- a/arch/s390/Makefile
+++ b/arch/s390/Makefile
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@
 # Copyright (C) 1994 by Linus Torvalds
 #
 
-KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := defconfig
-
 LD_BFD		:= elf64-s390
 KBUILD_LDFLAGS	:= -m elf64_s390
 KBUILD_AFLAGS_MODULE += -fPIC
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
index 059642bd6584..ab30fe724c43 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ else
 Kconfig := Kconfig
 endif
 
+ifndef KBUILD_DEFCONFIG
+KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := defconfig
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(quiet),silent_)
 silent := -s
 endif