diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.lib b/scripts/Makefile.lib
index 22667fe49a22..9bc4dc290dab 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.lib
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.lib
@@ -292,6 +292,12 @@ cmd_dt_S_dtb=						\
 $(obj)/%.dtb.S: $(obj)/%.dtb FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,dt_S_dtb)
 
+ifneq ($(DTC_EXT),)
+DTC = $(DTC_EXT)
+else
+DTC = $(objtree)/scripts/dtc/dtc
+endif
+
 quiet_cmd_dtc = DTC     $@
 cmd_dtc = mkdir -p $(dir ${dtc-tmp}) ; \
 	$(CPP) $(dtc_cpp_flags) -x assembler-with-cpp -o $(dtc-tmp) $< ; \
diff --git a/scripts/dtc/Makefile b/scripts/dtc/Makefile
index 1c943e03eaf2..28631ed596ab 100644
--- a/scripts/dtc/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/dtc/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 # scripts/dtc makefile
 
 hostprogs-y	:= dtc
+ifeq ($(DTC_EXT),)
 always		:= $(hostprogs-y)
+endif
 
 dtc-objs	:= dtc.o flattree.o fstree.o data.o livetree.o treesource.o \
 		   srcpos.o checks.o util.o