diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9275c4d2cd..5ce520b0d5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -847,14 +847,13 @@ olddefconfig: $(BUILD_DIR)/buildroot-config/conf outputmakefile
 defconfig: $(BUILD_DIR)/buildroot-config/conf outputmakefile
 	@$(COMMON_CONFIG_ENV) $< --defconfig$(if $(DEFCONFIG),=$(DEFCONFIG)) $(CONFIG_CONFIG_IN)
 
+define percent_defconfig
 # Override the BR2_DEFCONFIG from COMMON_CONFIG_ENV with the new defconfig
-%_defconfig: $(BUILD_DIR)/buildroot-config/conf $(TOPDIR)/configs/%_defconfig outputmakefile
-	@$(COMMON_CONFIG_ENV) BR2_DEFCONFIG=$(TOPDIR)/configs/$@ \
-		$< --defconfig=$(TOPDIR)/configs/$@ $(CONFIG_CONFIG_IN)
-
-%_defconfig: $(BUILD_DIR)/buildroot-config/conf $(BR2_EXTERNAL)/configs/%_defconfig outputmakefile
-	@$(COMMON_CONFIG_ENV) BR2_DEFCONFIG=$(BR2_EXTERNAL)/configs/$@ \
-		$< --defconfig=$(BR2_EXTERNAL)/configs/$@ $(CONFIG_CONFIG_IN)
+%_defconfig: $(BUILD_DIR)/buildroot-config/conf $(1)/configs/%_defconfig outputmakefile
+	@$$(COMMON_CONFIG_ENV) BR2_DEFCONFIG=$(1)/configs/$$@ \
+		$$< --defconfig=$(1)/configs/$$@ $$(CONFIG_CONFIG_IN)
+endef
+$(eval $(foreach d,$(TOPDIR) $(BR2_EXTERNAL),$(call percent_defconfig,$(d))$(sep)))
 
 savedefconfig: $(BUILD_DIR)/buildroot-config/conf outputmakefile
 	@$(COMMON_CONFIG_ENV) $< \