diff --git a/package/linux-headers/linux-headers.mk b/package/linux-headers/linux-headers.mk
index a8d1c2ccaf..1102e76f0f 100644
--- a/package/linux-headers/linux-headers.mk
+++ b/package/linux-headers/linux-headers.mk
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ endif # BR2_KERNEL_HEADERS_AS_KERNEL
 
 # Compute LINUX_HEADERS_SOURCE and LINUX_HEADERS_SITE from the configuration
 ifeq ($(LINUX_HEADERS_CUSTOM_TARBALL),y)
+ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING),y)
+ifeq ($(LINUX_HEADERS_CUSTOM_TARBALL_LOCATION),)
+$(error No kernel headers tarball location set, check your BR2_KERNEL_HEADERS_CUSTOM_TARBALL_LOCATION setting)
+endif
+endif
 LINUX_HEADERS_SOURCE = $(notdir $(LINUX_HEADERS_CUSTOM_TARBALL_LOCATION))
 LINUX_HEADERS_SITE = $(patsubst %/,%,$(dir $(LINUX_HEADERS_CUSTOM_TARBALL_LOCATION)))
 else ifeq ($(LINUX_HEADERS_CUSTOM_GIT),y)