diff --git a/fs/ext2/ext2.mk b/fs/ext2/ext2.mk
index 5439e2b993..12b87a722c 100644
--- a/fs/ext2/ext2.mk
+++ b/fs/ext2/ext2.mk
@@ -36,13 +36,11 @@ define ROOTFS_EXT2_CMD
 	}
 endef
 
-rootfs-ext2-symlink:
-	ln -sf rootfs.ext2$(ROOTFS_EXT2_COMPRESS_EXT) $(BINARIES_DIR)/rootfs.ext$(BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_EXT2_GEN)$(ROOTFS_EXT2_COMPRESS_EXT)
-
-.PHONY: rootfs-ext2-symlink
-
 ifneq ($(BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_EXT2_GEN),2)
-ROOTFS_EXT2_POST_TARGETS += rootfs-ext2-symlink
+define ROOTFS_EXT2_SYMLINK
+	ln -sf rootfs.ext2$(ROOTFS_EXT2_COMPRESS_EXT) $(BINARIES_DIR)/rootfs.ext$(BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_EXT2_GEN)$(ROOTFS_EXT2_COMPRESS_EXT)
+endef
+ROOTFS_EXT2_POST_GEN_HOOKS += ROOTFS_EXT2_SYMLINK
 endif
 
 $(eval $(call ROOTFS_TARGET,ext2))