diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 22bc7cc4b157..5435d11d8276 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -388,6 +388,9 @@ endif
 KCONFIG_CONFIG	?= .config
 export KCONFIG_CONFIG
 
+# Default file for 'make defconfig'. This may be overridden by arch-Makefile.
+export KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := defconfig
+
 # SHELL used by kbuild
 CONFIG_SHELL := sh
 
diff --git a/arch/sh/Kconfig b/arch/sh/Kconfig
index 9ece111b0254..b4f0e37b83eb 100644
--- a/arch/sh/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/sh/Kconfig
@@ -87,11 +87,6 @@ config SUPERH64
 	select HAVE_EXIT_THREAD
 	select KALLSYMS
 
-config ARCH_DEFCONFIG
-	string
-	default "arch/sh/configs/shx3_defconfig" if SUPERH32
-	default "arch/sh/configs/cayman_defconfig" if SUPERH64
-
 config GENERIC_BUG
 	def_bool y
 	depends on BUG && SUPERH32
diff --git a/arch/sparc/Kconfig b/arch/sparc/Kconfig
index c1dd6dd642f4..0de15380d1fc 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/sparc/Kconfig
@@ -95,11 +95,6 @@ config SPARC64
 	select PCI_DOMAINS if PCI
 	select ARCH_HAS_GIGANTIC_PAGE
 
-config ARCH_DEFCONFIG
-	string
-	default "arch/sparc/configs/sparc32_defconfig" if SPARC32
-	default "arch/sparc/configs/sparc64_defconfig" if SPARC64
-
 config ARCH_PROC_KCORE_TEXT
 	def_bool y
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
index beea77046f9b..98935f4387f9 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -240,11 +240,6 @@ config OUTPUT_FORMAT
 	default "elf32-i386" if X86_32
 	default "elf64-x86-64" if X86_64
 
-config ARCH_DEFCONFIG
-	string
-	default "arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig" if X86_32
-	default "arch/x86/configs/x86_64_defconfig" if X86_64
-
 config LOCKDEP_SUPPORT
 	def_bool y
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/um/Kconfig b/arch/x86/um/Kconfig
index a8985e1f7432..95d26a69088b 100644
--- a/arch/x86/um/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/um/Kconfig
@@ -27,11 +27,6 @@ config X86_64
 	def_bool 64BIT
 	select MODULES_USE_ELF_RELA
 
-config ARCH_DEFCONFIG
-	string
-	default "arch/um/configs/i386_defconfig" if X86_32
-	default "arch/um/configs/x86_64_defconfig" if X86_64
-
 config 3_LEVEL_PGTABLES
 	bool "Three-level pagetables" if !64BIT
 	default 64BIT
diff --git a/init/Kconfig b/init/Kconfig
index 20a6ac33761c..240c1ed15c69 100644
--- a/init/Kconfig
+++ b/init/Kconfig
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ config DEFCONFIG_LIST
 	default "/lib/modules/$(shell,uname -r)/.config"
 	default "/etc/kernel-config"
 	default "/boot/config-$(shell,uname -r)"
-	default ARCH_DEFCONFIG
-	default "arch/$(ARCH)/defconfig"
+	default "arch/$(SRCARCH)/configs/$(KBUILD_DEFCONFIG)"
 
 config CC_IS_GCC
 	def_bool $(success,$(CC) --version | head -n 1 | grep -q gcc)
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
index 5887ceb6229e..c9d0a4a8efb3 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -12,10 +12,6 @@ else
 Kconfig := Kconfig
 endif
 
-ifndef KBUILD_DEFCONFIG
-KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := defconfig
-endif
-
 ifeq ($(quiet),silent_)
 silent := -s
 endif