diff --git a/include/download.mk b/include/download.mk
index 9fbc3fb656f724be2f8b1c96fe7800f8af819e64..b234b1bd0e7545215e2164e514ce35d51aa6c9fe 100644
--- a/include/download.mk
+++ b/include/download.mk
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ endef
 dl_pack/bz2=$(TAR) --owner=0 --group=0 --sort=name $$$${TAR_TIMESTAMP:+--mtime="$$$$TAR_TIMESTAMP"} -cjf $(1) $(2)
 dl_pack/gz=$(TAR) --owner=0 --group=0 --sort=name $$$${TAR_TIMESTAMP:+--mtime="$$$$TAR_TIMESTAMP"} -c $(2) | gzip -nc > $(1)
 dl_pack/xz=$(TAR) --owner=0 --group=0 --sort=name $$$${TAR_TIMESTAMP:+--mtime="$$$$TAR_TIMESTAMP"} -c $(2) | xz -zc -7e > $(1)
-dl_pack/unknown=echo "ERROR: Unknown pack format for file $(1)"; false
+dl_pack/unknown=$(error ERROR: Unknown pack format for file $(1))
 define dl_pack
 	$(if $(dl_pack/$(call ext,$(1))),$(dl_pack/$(call ext,$(1))),$(dl_pack/unknown))
 endef