diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 502991f658..312babd990 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ endif
 
 # Need that early, before we scan packages
 # Avoids doing the $(or...) everytime
-BR2_GRAPH_OUT := $(or $(GRAPH_OUT),pdf)
+_BR2_GRAPH_OUT := $(or $(BR2_GRAPH_OUT),pdf)
 
 BUILD_DIR:=$(BASE_DIR)/build
 STAMP_DIR:=$(BASE_DIR)/stamps
@@ -651,18 +651,18 @@ graph-build: $(O)/build/build-time.log
 	@install -d $(O)/graphs
 	$(foreach o,name build duration,./support/scripts/graph-build-time \
 					--type=histogram --order=$(o) --input=$(<) \
-					--output=$(O)/graphs/build.hist-$(o).$(BR2_GRAPH_OUT) \
-					$(if $(GRAPH_ALT),--alternate-colors)$(sep))
+					--output=$(O)/graphs/build.hist-$(o).$(_BR2_GRAPH_OUT) \
+					$(if $(BR2_GRAPH_ALT),--alternate-colors)$(sep))
 	$(foreach t,packages steps,./support/scripts/graph-build-time \
 				   --type=pie-$(t) --input=$(<) \
-				   --output=$(O)/graphs/build.pie-$(t).$(BR2_GRAPH_OUT) \
-				   $(if $(GRAPH_ALT),--alternate-colors)$(sep))
+				   --output=$(O)/graphs/build.pie-$(t).$(_BR2_GRAPH_OUT) \
+				   $(if $(BR2_GRAPH_ALT),--alternate-colors)$(sep))
 
 graph-depends:
 	@$(INSTALL) -d $(O)/graphs
 	@cd "$(CONFIG_DIR)"; \
 	$(TOPDIR)/support/scripts/graph-depends \
-	|dot -T$(BR2_GRAPH_OUT) -o $(O)/graphs/$(@).$(BR2_GRAPH_OUT)
+	|dot -T$(_BR2_GRAPH_OUT) -o $(O)/graphs/$(@).$(_BR2_GRAPH_OUT)
 
 else # ifeq ($(BR2_HAVE_DOT_CONFIG),y)
 
diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index 555c3c2e26..5efd9ab52d 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ $(1)-graph-depends:
 			@$(INSTALL) -d $(O)/graphs
 			@cd "$(CONFIG_DIR)"; \
 			$(TOPDIR)/support/scripts/graph-depends $(1) \
-			|dot -T$(BR2_GRAPH_OUT) -o $(O)/graphs/$$(@).$(BR2_GRAPH_OUT)
+			|dot -T$(_BR2_GRAPH_OUT) -o $(O)/graphs/$$(@).$(_BR2_GRAPH_OUT)
 
 $(1)-dirclean:		$$($(2)_TARGET_DIRCLEAN)