diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6a222e21ca6d..8ca9e0b114f1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -225,10 +225,12 @@ no-dot-config-targets := $(clean-targets) \
 			 cscope gtags TAGS tags help% %docs check% coccicheck \
 			 $(version_h) headers_% archheaders archscripts \
 			 kernelversion %src-pkg
+no-sync-config-targets := $(no-dot-config-targets) install %install
 
-config-targets := 0
-mixed-targets  := 0
-dot-config     := 1
+config-targets  := 0
+mixed-targets   := 0
+dot-config      := 1
+may-sync-config := 1
 
 ifneq ($(filter $(no-dot-config-targets), $(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
 	ifeq ($(filter-out $(no-dot-config-targets), $(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
@@ -236,6 +238,16 @@ ifneq ($(filter $(no-dot-config-targets), $(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
 	endif
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(filter $(no-sync-config-targets), $(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+	ifeq ($(filter-out $(no-sync-config-targets), $(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+		may-sync-config := 0
+	endif
+endif
+
+ifneq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
+	may-sync-config := 0
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
         ifneq ($(filter config %config,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
                 config-targets := 1
@@ -606,7 +618,7 @@ ARCH_CFLAGS :=
 include arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
 
 ifeq ($(dot-config),1)
-ifeq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
+ifeq ($(may-sync-config),1)
 # Read in dependencies to all Kconfig* files, make sure to run syncconfig if
 # changes are detected. This should be included after arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
 # because some architectures define CROSS_COMPILE there.
@@ -621,8 +633,9 @@ $(KCONFIG_CONFIG) include/config/auto.conf.cmd: ;
 include/config/%.conf: $(KCONFIG_CONFIG) include/config/auto.conf.cmd
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile syncconfig
 else
-# external modules needs include/generated/autoconf.h and include/config/auto.conf
-# but do not care if they are up-to-date. Use auto.conf to trigger the test
+# External modules and some install targets need include/generated/autoconf.h
+# and include/config/auto.conf but do not care if they are up-to-date.
+# Use auto.conf to trigger the test
 PHONY += include/config/auto.conf
 
 include/config/auto.conf:
@@ -634,7 +647,7 @@ include/config/auto.conf:
 	echo >&2 ;							\
 	/bin/false)
 
-endif # KBUILD_EXTMOD
+endif # may-sync-config
 
 else
 # Dummy target needed, because used as prerequisite