diff --git a/drivers/firmware/efi/libstub/Makefile.zboot b/drivers/firmware/efi/libstub/Makefile.zboot
index 89ef820f3b344..2c489627a8078 100644
--- a/drivers/firmware/efi/libstub/Makefile.zboot
+++ b/drivers/firmware/efi/libstub/Makefile.zboot
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ zboot-size-len-$(CONFIG_KERNEL_GZIP)   := 0
 $(obj)/vmlinuz: $(obj)/vmlinux.bin FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,$(zboot-method-y))
 
-OBJCOPYFLAGS_vmlinuz.o := -I binary -O $(EFI_ZBOOT_BFD_TARGET) $(EFI_ZBOOT_OBJCOPY_FLAGS) \
+# avoid eager evaluation to prevent references to non-existent build artifacts
+OBJCOPYFLAGS_vmlinuz.o = -I binary -O $(EFI_ZBOOT_BFD_TARGET) $(EFI_ZBOOT_OBJCOPY_FLAGS) \
 			  --rename-section .data=.gzdata,load,alloc,readonly,contents
 $(obj)/vmlinuz.o: $(obj)/vmlinuz FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,objcopy)