diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ac6095143..b3f998200 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -184,7 +184,16 @@ scripts/bb_mkdep: $(top_srcdir)/scripts/bb_mkdep.c
 	$(HOSTCC) $(HOSTCFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 
 depend dep: .depend
-.depend: scripts/bb_mkdep include/config.h include/bb_config.h
+
+DEP_INCLUDES=include/config.h include/bb_config.h
+ifeq ($(strip $(CONFIG_BBCONFIG)),y)
+DEP_INCLUDES += include/bbconfigopts.h
+
+include/bbconfigopts.h: .config
+	scripts/config/mkconfigs > $@
+endif
+
+.depend: scripts/bb_mkdep $(DEP_INCLUDES)
 	@rm -f .depend
 	@mkdir -p include/config
 	scripts/bb_mkdep -c include/config.h -c include/bb_config.h > $@
diff --git a/miscutils/Makefile.in b/miscutils/Makefile.in
index 13d20f4a7..2db511176 100644
--- a/miscutils/Makefile.in
+++ b/miscutils/Makefile.in
@@ -55,9 +55,6 @@ endif
 $(MISCUTILS_DIR)$(MISCUTILS_AR): $(patsubst %,$(MISCUTILS_DIR)%, $(MISCUTILS-y))
 	$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $(patsubst %,$(MISCUTILS_DIR)%, $(MISCUTILS-y))
 
-$(top_builddir)/include/bbconfigopts.h: $(top_builddir)/.config
-	$(top_builddir)/scripts/config/mkconfigs > $(top_builddir)/include/bbconfigopts.h
-
 $(MISCUTILS_DIR)%.o: $(srcdir)/%.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(EXTRA_CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<