diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index 4db60b2e2a76..843bd4f4ffc9 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -210,7 +210,13 @@ endif
 
 ifdef CONFIG_FTRACE_MCOUNT_RECORD
 ifdef BUILD_C_RECORDMCOUNT
-cmd_record_mcount = $(objtree)/scripts/recordmcount "$(@)";
+# Due to recursion, we must skip empty.o.
+# The empty.o file is created in the make process in order to determine
+#  the target endianness and word size. It is made before all other C
+#  files, including recordmcount.
+cmd_record_mcount = if [ $(@) != "scripts/mod/empty.o" ]; then			\
+			$(objtree)/scripts/recordmcount "$(@)";			\
+		    fi;
 else
 cmd_record_mcount = set -e ; perl $(srctree)/scripts/recordmcount.pl "$(ARCH)" \
 	"$(if $(CONFIG_CPU_BIG_ENDIAN),big,little)" \