diff --git a/include/kernel-defaults.mk b/include/kernel-defaults.mk
index d81dc76135bddc3d0a9712df01dc74dcad3481fa..caaa09d51ddd567a5a8884459fc5c664e45fd6d9 100644
--- a/include/kernel-defaults.mk
+++ b/include/kernel-defaults.mk
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Kernel/Patch:=$(Kernel/Patch/Default)
 ifeq ($(strip $(CONFIG_EXTERNAL_KERNEL_TREE)),"")
   ifeq ($(strip $(CONFIG_KERNEL_GIT_CLONE_URI)),"")
     define Kernel/Prepare/Default
-	xzcat $(DL_DIR)/$(LINUX_SOURCE) | $(TAR) -C $(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR) -xf -
+	xzcat $(DL_DIR)/$(LINUX_SOURCE) | $(TAR) -C $(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR) $(TAR_OPTIONS)
 	$(Kernel/Patch)
 	touch $(LINUX_DIR)/.quilt_used
     endef
diff --git a/include/unpack.mk b/include/unpack.mk
index 2b33c4cd8ea214b767d33e0f2c22b3adb38dc6f1..2d3586309516ae83f28d1d3a78e8e25e773b5993 100644
--- a/include/unpack.mk
+++ b/include/unpack.mk
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ ifneq ($(HOST_OS),Linux)
 else
   HOST_TAR:=$(TAR)
 endif
-
-TAR_OPTIONS:=-xf -
 TAR_CMD=$(HOST_TAR) -C $(1)/.. $(TAR_OPTIONS)
 UNZIP_CMD=unzip -d $(1)/.. $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE)
 
diff --git a/rules.mk b/rules.mk
index cccbf3a73fa5154f0d89e4616a19198e7cce113f..a84636a21b3bd0799c3eeb1fb734f818cd982e2a 100644
--- a/rules.mk
+++ b/rules.mk
@@ -263,6 +263,8 @@ else
   DISABLE_IPV6:=--disable-ipv6
 endif
 
+TAR_OPTIONS:=-xf -
+
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_BUILD_LOG),y)
   BUILD_LOG:=1
 endif