It seems that newer versions of GNU Make do not allow to use variables before
defining it.

diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
index 844bc9da..911c6ba1 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ clean-files	+= zconf.tab.c zconf.lex.c zconf.hash.c gconf.glade.h
 clean-files     += mconf qconf gconf nconf
 clean-files     += config.pot linux.pot
 
+HOSTLOADLIBES_mconf   = $(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(check-lxdialog) -ldflags $(HOSTCC))
+
 # Check that we have the required ncurses stuff installed for lxdialog (menuconfig)
 PHONY += $(obj)/dochecklxdialog
 $(addprefix $(obj)/,$(lxdialog)): $(obj)/dochecklxdialog
@@ -217,8 +219,6 @@ HOSTLOADLIBES_gconf	= `pkg-config --libs gtk+-2.0 gmodule-2.0 libglade-2.0`
 HOSTCFLAGS_gconf.o	= `pkg-config --cflags gtk+-2.0 gmodule-2.0 libglade-2.0` \
                           -Wno-missing-prototypes
 
-HOSTLOADLIBES_mconf   = $(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(check-lxdialog) -ldflags $(HOSTCC))
-
 HOSTLOADLIBES_nconf	= $(shell \
 				pkg-config --libs menu panel ncurses 2>/dev/null \
 				|| echo "-lmenu -lpanel -lncurses"  )