diff --git a/rules.mk b/rules.mk
index 28d28b10c24ab9d4cc980d627472090a46904cb2..5c66dfde1a14942f3b220608c3a899f3db9605ba 100644
--- a/rules.mk
+++ b/rules.mk
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ SUBDIR:=$(patsubst $(TOPDIR)/%,%,${CURDIR})
 
 OPTIMIZE_FOR_CPU:=$(ARCH)
 
-DL_DIR:=$(call qstrip,$(if $(CONFIG_DOWNLOAD_FOLDER), $(CONFIG_DOWNLOAD_FOLDER),$(TOPDIR)/dl))
+DL_DIR:=$(if $(call qstrip,$(CONFIG_DOWNLOAD_FOLDER)),$(call qstrip,$(CONFIG_DOWNLOAD_FOLDER)),$(TOPDIR)/dl)
 BIN_DIR:=$(TOPDIR)/bin
 INCLUDE_DIR:=$(TOPDIR)/include
 SCRIPT_DIR:=$(TOPDIR)/scripts