diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index d9daae0a436b1f3c94fec5f53d4320eee2317c03..d480d943a63107aa97e2427ddb4884f7dbe50722 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -510,13 +510,14 @@ $(RIOTBUILD_CONFIG_HEADER_C):
 	@mkdir -p '$(dir $@)'
 	$(AD)'$(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/genconfigheader/genconfigheader.sh' '$@' $(CFLAGS_WITH_MACROS)
 
+CFLAGS_WITH_MACROS := $(CFLAGS)
+
 ifneq (,$(RIOT_VERSION_OVERRIDE))
-export CFLAGS += -DRIOT_VERSION=\"$(RIOT_VERSION_OVERRIDE)\"
+export CFLAGS_WITH_MACROS += -DRIOT_VERSION=\"$(RIOT_VERSION_OVERRIDE)\"
 else
-export CFLAGS += -DRIOT_VERSION=\"$(RIOT_VERSION)\"
+export CFLAGS_WITH_MACROS += -DRIOT_VERSION=\"$(RIOT_VERSION)\"
 endif
 
-CFLAGS_WITH_MACROS := $(CFLAGS)
 CFLAGS := $(patsubst -D%,,$(CFLAGS))
 CFLAGS := $(patsubst -U%,,$(CFLAGS))
 CFLAGS += -include '$(RIOTBUILD_CONFIG_HEADER_C)'