diff --git a/include/host.mk b/include/host.mk
index b44c1bf1ac6f3a9a1af9f865e48613a0d87d5ec4..000fb1898475270eb533d833e5012ecdfd3e50bd 100644
--- a/include/host.mk
+++ b/include/host.mk
@@ -54,11 +54,6 @@ $(TMP_DIR)/.host.mk: $(TOPDIR)/include/host.mk
 		else \
 			echo "FIND_L=$$FIND \$$(1) -follow" >> $@; \
 		fi; \
-		if xargs --help 2>&1 | grep 'gnu.org' >/dev/null; then \
-			echo 'XARGS:=xargs -r' >> $@; \
-		else \
-			echo 'XARGS:=xargs' >> $@; \
-		fi; \
 		PATCH=`which gpatch 2>/dev/null`; \
 		[ -n "$$PATCH" -a -x "$$PATCH" ] || PATCH=`which patch 2>/dev/null`; \
 		echo "PATCH:=$$PATCH" >> $@; \
diff --git a/rules.mk b/rules.mk
index 6a283bd64762daee1261d2f0ebec2cba3ea311cc..2e9e20d919f158ca84cbc4f3f74298563b8e733a 100644
--- a/rules.mk
+++ b/rules.mk
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ KPATCH:=$(SCRIPT_DIR)/patch-kernel.sh
 SED:=$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/sed -i -e
 CP:=cp -fpR
 LN:=ln -sf
+XARGS:=xargs -r
 
 INSTALL_BIN:=install -m0755
 INSTALL_DIR:=install -d -m0755