diff --git a/kernel/.gitignore b/kernel/.gitignore
index 34d1e77ee9df..16670321c138 100644
--- a/kernel/.gitignore
+++ b/kernel/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #
 # Generated files
 #
+config_data
 kheaders.md5
 timeconst.h
 hz.bc
diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index 08652a850458..9e02af6edfd3 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -128,10 +128,15 @@ KCOV_INSTRUMENT_stackleak.o := n
 
 $(obj)/configs.o: $(obj)/config_data.gz
 
-targets += config_data.gz
-$(obj)/config_data.gz: $(KCONFIG_CONFIG) FORCE
+targets += config_data config_data.gz
+$(obj)/config_data.gz: $(obj)/config_data FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,gzip)
 
+filechk_cat = cat $<
+
+$(obj)/config_data: $(KCONFIG_CONFIG) FORCE
+	$(call filechk,cat)
+
 $(obj)/kheaders.o: $(obj)/kheaders_data.tar.xz
 
 quiet_cmd_genikh = CHK     $(obj)/kheaders_data.tar.xz