diff --git a/arch/x86/Makefile b/arch/x86/Makefile
index f5d7f4134524965a1233618c1404f4849d7c51c9..75ef499a66e2b81c82fb6abb9bb4bd9a64521e73 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/Makefile
@@ -220,9 +220,6 @@ KBUILD_CFLAGS += -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables
 
 # Avoid indirect branches in kernel to deal with Spectre
 ifdef CONFIG_RETPOLINE
-ifeq ($(RETPOLINE_CFLAGS),)
-  $(error You are building kernel with non-retpoline compiler, please update your compiler.)
-endif
   KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(RETPOLINE_CFLAGS)
 endif
 
@@ -307,6 +304,13 @@ ifndef CC_HAVE_ASM_GOTO
 	@echo Compiler lacks asm-goto support.
 	@exit 1
 endif
+ifdef CONFIG_RETPOLINE
+ifeq ($(RETPOLINE_CFLAGS),)
+	@echo "You are building kernel with non-retpoline compiler." >&2
+	@echo "Please update your compiler." >&2
+	@false
+endif
+endif
 
 archclean:
 	$(Q)rm -rf $(objtree)/arch/i386