diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ea283c9bbaa8..ebf4d3ce492c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1100,7 +1100,6 @@ KBUILD_VMLINUX_OBJS += $(patsubst %/,%/built-in.a, $(drivers-y))
 
 export KBUILD_VMLINUX_OBJS KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS
 export KBUILD_LDS          := arch/$(SRCARCH)/kernel/vmlinux.lds
-export LDFLAGS_vmlinux
 # used by scripts/Makefile.package
 export KBUILD_ALLDIRS := $(sort $(filter-out arch/%,$(vmlinux-alldirs)) LICENSES arch include scripts tools)
 
@@ -1132,7 +1131,7 @@ ARCH_POSTLINK := $(wildcard $(srctree)/arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile.postlink)
 
 # Final link of vmlinux with optional arch pass after final link
 cmd_link-vmlinux =                                                 \
-	$(CONFIG_SHELL) $< $(LD) $(KBUILD_LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS_vmlinux) ;    \
+	$(CONFIG_SHELL) $< "$(LD)" "$(KBUILD_LDFLAGS)" "$(LDFLAGS_vmlinux)";    \
 	$(if $(ARCH_POSTLINK), $(MAKE) -f $(ARCH_POSTLINK) $@, true)
 
 vmlinux: scripts/link-vmlinux.sh autoksyms_recursive $(vmlinux-deps) FORCE
diff --git a/arch/xtensa/boot/boot-elf/Makefile b/arch/xtensa/boot/boot-elf/Makefile
index 12ae1e91cb75..a62a25506536 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/boot/boot-elf/Makefile
+++ b/arch/xtensa/boot/boot-elf/Makefile
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ $(obj)/Image.o: vmlinux.bin $(OBJS)
 		$(OBJS) $@
 
 $(obj)/../Image.elf: $(obj)/Image.o $(obj)/boot.lds
-	$(Q)$(LD) $(KBUILD_LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS_vmlinux) \
+	$(Q)$(LD) $(KBUILD_LDFLAGS) \
 		-T $(obj)/boot.lds \
 		--build-id=none \
 		-o $@ $(obj)/Image.o
diff --git a/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh b/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
index 92dd745906f4..68e7de2dbe90 100755
--- a/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
+++ b/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
 # Error out on error
 set -e
 
+LD="$1"
+KBUILD_LDFLAGS="$2"
+LDFLAGS_vmlinux="$3"
+
 # Nice output in kbuild format
 # Will be supressed by "make -s"
 info()