diff --git a/init/Makefile b/init/Makefile
index 8319ece0f137..c464b36026b5 100644
--- a/init/Makefile
+++ b/init/Makefile
@@ -33,4 +33,4 @@ include/generated/compile.h: FORCE
 	@$($(quiet)chk_compile.h)
 	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/mkcompile_h $@	\
 	"$(UTS_MACHINE)" "$(CONFIG_SMP)" "$(CONFIG_PREEMPT)"	\
-	"$(CC)" "$(LD)"
+	$(CONFIG_CC_VERSION_TEXT) "$(LD)"
diff --git a/scripts/mkcompile_h b/scripts/mkcompile_h
index 19de4cdef1ec..d0f9c58e8de7 100755
--- a/scripts/mkcompile_h
+++ b/scripts/mkcompile_h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ TARGET=$1
 ARCH=$2
 SMP=$3
 PREEMPT=$4
-CC=$5
+CC_VERSION="$5"
 LD=$6
 
 vecho() { [ "${quiet}" = "silent_" ] || echo "$@" ; }
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ UTS_TRUNCATE="cut -b -$UTS_LEN"
   echo \#define LINUX_COMPILE_BY \"`echo $LINUX_COMPILE_BY | $UTS_TRUNCATE`\"
   echo \#define LINUX_COMPILE_HOST \"`echo $LINUX_COMPILE_HOST | $UTS_TRUNCATE`\"
 
-  CC_VERSION=$($CC -v 2>&1 | grep ' version ' | sed 's/[[:space:]]*$//')
   LD_VERSION=$($LD -v | head -n1 | sed 's/(compatible with [^)]*)//' \
 		      | sed 's/[[:space:]]*$//')
   printf '#define LINUX_COMPILER "%s"\n' "$CC_VERSION, $LD_VERSION"