diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0883175e41..a21869a81a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -434,6 +434,34 @@ include fs/common.mk
 
 include $(BR2_EXTERNAL)/external.mk
 
+# Now we are sure we have all the packages scanned and defined. We now
+# check for each package in the list of enabled packages, that all its
+# dependencies are indeed enabled.
+#
+# Only trigger the check for default builds. If the user forces building
+# a package, even if not enabled in the configuration, we want to accept
+# it.
+#
+ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),)
+
+define CHECK_ONE_DEPENDENCY
+ifeq ($$($(2)_TYPE),target)
+ifeq ($$($(2)_IS_VIRTUAL),)
+ifneq ($$($$($(2)_KCONFIG_VAR)),y)
+$$(error $$($(2)_NAME) is in the dependency chain of $$($(1)_NAME) that \
+has added it to its _DEPENDENCIES variable without selecting it or \
+depending on it from Config.in)
+endif
+endif
+endif
+endef
+
+$(foreach pkg,$(call UPPERCASE,$(PACKAGES)),\
+	$(foreach dep,$(call UPPERCASE,$($(pkg)_FINAL_ALL_DEPENDENCIES)),\
+		$(eval $(call CHECK_ONE_DEPENDENCY,$(pkg),$(dep))$(sep))))
+
+endif
+
 dirs: $(BUILD_DIR) $(STAGING_DIR) $(TARGET_DIR) \
 	$(HOST_DIR) $(BINARIES_DIR)
 
diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index 9e884235b0..1e024d3484 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -182,20 +182,6 @@ $(foreach dir,$(call qstrip,$(BR2_GLOBAL_PATCH_DIR)),\
 
 # Configure
 $(BUILD_DIR)/%/.stamp_configured:
-# Only trigger the check for default builds. If the user forces
-# building a package, even if not enabled in the configuration, we
-# want to accept it.
-ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),)
-	@if test "$($(PKG)_TYPE)" = "target" \
-		-a "$($(PKG)_IS_VIRTUAL)" != "YES" \
-		-a -z "$($($(PKG)_KCONFIG_VAR))" ; \
-	then \
-		echo "ERROR: $($(PKG)_NAME) is in the dependency chain of a package that has" ; \
-		echo "added it to its _DEPENDENCIES variable (directly or indirectly)" ; \
-		echo "without selecting it from Config.in." ; \
-		exit 1 ; \
-	fi
-endif
 	@$(call step_start,configure)
 	@$(call MESSAGE,"Configuring")
 	$(foreach hook,$($(PKG)_PRE_CONFIGURE_HOOKS),$(call $(hook))$(sep))