diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8478e13e9424..00c747575f0c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1734,9 +1734,9 @@ PHONY += prepare
 # now expand this into a simple variable to reduce the cost of shell evaluations
 prepare: CC_VERSION_TEXT := $(CC_VERSION_TEXT)
 prepare:
-	@if [ "$(CC_VERSION_TEXT)" != "$(CONFIG_CC_VERSION_TEXT)" ]; then \
+	@if [ "$(CC_VERSION_TEXT)" != $(CONFIG_CC_VERSION_TEXT) ]; then \
 		echo >&2 "warning: the compiler differs from the one used to build the kernel"; \
-		echo >&2 "  The kernel was built by: $(CONFIG_CC_VERSION_TEXT)"; \
+		echo >&2 "  The kernel was built by: "$(CONFIG_CC_VERSION_TEXT); \
 		echo >&2 "  You are using:           $(CC_VERSION_TEXT)"; \
 	fi