diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e4045bcba0..3a97483d45 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -226,11 +226,46 @@ CHECK		= sparse
 CHECKFLAGS     := -D__linux__ -Dlinux -D__STDC__ -Dunix -D__unix__ \
 		  -Wbitwise -Wno-return-void -D__CHECK_ENDIAN__ $(CF)
 
+KBUILD_CPPFLAGS := -D__KERNEL__
+
+KBUILD_CFLAGS   := -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes \
+		   -Wno-format-security \
+		   -fno-builtin -ffreestanding
+KBUILD_AFLAGS   := -D__ASSEMBLY__
+
 export CONFIG_SHELL HOSTCC HOSTCFLAGS HOSTLDFLAGS CROSS_COMPILE AS LD CC
 export CPP AR NM LDR STRIP OBJCOPY OBJDUMP
 export MAKE AWK
 export DTC CHECK CHECKFLAGS
 
+export KBUILD_CPPFLAGS
+export KBUILD_CFLAGS KBUILD_AFLAGS
+
+KBUILD_CFLAGS += -Os #-fomit-frame-pointer
+
+ifdef BUILD_TAG
+KBUILD_CFLAGS += -DBUILD_TAG='"$(BUILD_TAG)"'
+endif
+
+KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-fno-stack-protector)
+
+KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= -g
+# $(KBUILD_AFLAGS) sets -g, which causes gcc to pass a suitable -g<format>
+# option to the assembler.
+KBUILD_AFLAGS	+= -g
+
+# Report stack usage if supported
+KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-fstack-usage)
+
+KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-Wno-format-nonliteral)
+
+# turn jbsr into jsr for m68k
+ifeq ($(ARCH),m68k)
+ifeq ($(findstring 3.4,$(shell $(CC) --version)),3.4)
+KBUILD_AFLAGS += -Wa,-gstabs,-S
+endif
+endif
+
 # load other configuration
 include $(TOPDIR)/config.mk
 
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index ba4264155e..04b63f66b4 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -90,19 +90,13 @@ endif
 
 #########################################################################
 
-# We don't actually use $(ARFLAGS) anywhere anymore, so catch people
-# who are porting old code to latest mainline but not updating $(AR).
-ARFLAGS = $(error update your Makefile to use cmd_link_o_target and not AR)
 RELFLAGS= $(PLATFORM_RELFLAGS)
-DBGFLAGS= -g # -DDEBUG
-OPTFLAGS= -Os #-fomit-frame-pointer
 
 OBJCFLAGS += --gap-fill=0xff
 
 gccincdir := $(shell $(CC) -print-file-name=include)
 
-CPPFLAGS := $(DBGFLAGS) $(OPTFLAGS) $(RELFLAGS)		\
-	-D__KERNEL__
+CPPFLAGS = $(KBUILD_CPPFLAGS) $(RELFLAGS)
 
 # Enable garbage collection of un-used sections for SPL
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_SPL_BUILD),y)
@@ -134,26 +128,10 @@ CPPFLAGS += -I$(OBJTREE)/include
 endif
 
 CPPFLAGS += -I$(TOPDIR)/include -I$(SRCTREE)/arch/$(ARCH)/include
-CPPFLAGS += -fno-builtin -ffreestanding -nostdinc	\
+CPPFLAGS += -nostdinc	\
 	-isystem $(gccincdir) -pipe $(PLATFORM_CPPFLAGS)
 
-CFLAGS := $(CPPFLAGS) -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes
-
-ifdef BUILD_TAG
-CFLAGS += -DBUILD_TAG='"$(BUILD_TAG)"'
-endif
-
-CFLAGS_SSP := $(call cc-option,-fno-stack-protector)
-CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_SSP)
-# Some toolchains enable security related warning flags by default,
-# but they don't make much sense in the u-boot world, so disable them.
-CFLAGS_WARN := $(call cc-option,-Wno-format-nonliteral) \
-	       $(call cc-option,-Wno-format-security)
-CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_WARN)
-
-# Report stack usage if supported
-CFLAGS_STACK := $(call cc-option,-fstack-usage)
-CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_STACK)
+CFLAGS := $(KBUILD_CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS)
 
 BCURDIR = $(subst $(SRCTREE)/,,$(CURDIR:$(obj)%=%))
 
@@ -165,18 +143,7 @@ endif
 endif
 endif
 
-# $(CPPFLAGS) sets -g, which causes gcc to pass a suitable -g<format>
-# option to the assembler.
-AFLAGS_DEBUG :=
-
-# turn jbsr into jsr for m68k
-ifeq ($(ARCH),m68k)
-ifeq ($(findstring 3.4,$(shell $(CC) --version)),3.4)
-AFLAGS_DEBUG := -Wa,-gstabs,-S
-endif
-endif
-
-AFLAGS := $(AFLAGS_DEBUG) -D__ASSEMBLY__ $(CPPFLAGS)
+AFLAGS := $(KBUILD_AFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS)
 
 LDFLAGS += $(PLATFORM_LDFLAGS)
 LDFLAGS_FINAL += -Bstatic