diff --git a/package/busybox/busybox.mk b/package/busybox/busybox.mk
index d8c8bad318..6b2abcacbf 100644
--- a/package/busybox/busybox.mk
+++ b/package/busybox/busybox.mk
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ endef
 
 # Checks to give errors that the user can understand
 # Must be before we call to kconfig-package
-ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING),y)
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX)$(BR_BUILDING),yy)
 ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX_CONFIG)),)
 $(error No BusyBox configuration file specified, check your BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX_CONFIG setting)
 endif
diff --git a/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk b/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
index 3aceae300c..9dfafad457 100644
--- a/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
+++ b/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ endef
 
 # Checks to give errors that the user can understand
 # Must be before we call to kconfig-package
-ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING),y)
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_UCLIBC)$(BR_BUILDING),yy)
 ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_UCLIBC_CONFIG)),)
 $(error No uClibc configuration file specified, check your BR2_UCLIBC_CONFIG setting)
 endif