diff --git a/arch/alpha/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/alpha/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index 6713c65a25e1..b265e4bc16c2 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/alpha/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
diff --git a/arch/arm/tools/Makefile b/arch/arm/tools/Makefile
index 4a5c50f67ced..81f13bdf32f2 100644
--- a/arch/arm/tools/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/tools/Makefile
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ kapi:	$(kapi-hdrs-y) $(gen-y)
 uapi:	$(uapi-hdrs-y)
 
 # Create output directory if not already present
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)') \
-          $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(kapi) $(uapi))
 
 quiet_cmd_gen_mach = GEN     $@
       cmd_gen_mach = $(AWK) -f $(real-prereqs) > $@
diff --git a/arch/ia64/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/ia64/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index 14f40ecf8b65..d009f927a048 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/ia64/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
diff --git a/arch/m68k/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/m68k/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index 6713c65a25e1..b265e4bc16c2 100644
--- a/arch/m68k/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/m68k/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
diff --git a/arch/microblaze/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/microblaze/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index 6713c65a25e1..b265e4bc16c2 100644
--- a/arch/microblaze/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/microblaze/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
diff --git a/arch/mips/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/mips/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index 10bf90dc02c0..e6b21de65cca 100644
--- a/arch/mips/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
 sysnr := $(srctree)/$(src)/syscallnr.sh
diff --git a/arch/parisc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/parisc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index d63f18dd058d..8440c16dfb22 100644
--- a/arch/parisc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/parisc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/powerpc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index 5476f62eb80f..9d7bd81510b8 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
diff --git a/arch/s390/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/s390/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index b98f25029b8e..fb85e797946d 100644
--- a/arch/s390/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/s390/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ uapi:	$(uapi-hdrs-y)
 
 
 # Create output directory if not already present
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)') \
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 filechk_syshdr = $(CONFIG_SHELL) '$(systbl)' -H -a $(syshdr_abi_$(basetarget)) -f "$2" < $<
 
diff --git a/arch/sh/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/sh/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index 6713c65a25e1..b265e4bc16c2 100644
--- a/arch/sh/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/sh/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
diff --git a/arch/sparc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/sparc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index d63f18dd058d..8440c16dfb22 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/sparc/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh
diff --git a/arch/x86/entry/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/x86/entry/syscalls/Makefile
index 5b3efed0e4e8..9104039cd8f2 100644
--- a/arch/x86/entry/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/entry/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ out := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
 # Create output directory if not already present
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(out)' ] || mkdir -p '$(out)') \
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(out) $(uapi))
 
 syscall32 := $(src)/syscall_32.tbl
 syscall64 := $(src)/syscall_64.tbl
diff --git a/arch/xtensa/kernel/syscalls/Makefile b/arch/xtensa/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
index 6713c65a25e1..b265e4bc16c2 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
+++ b/arch/xtensa/kernel/syscalls/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 kapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/asm
 uapi := arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm
 
-_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(uapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(uapi)')	\
-	  $(shell [ -d '$(kapi)' ] || mkdir -p '$(kapi)')
+$(shell mkdir -p $(uapi) $(kapi))
 
 syscall := $(src)/syscall.tbl
 syshdr := $(srctree)/scripts/syscallhdr.sh