diff --git a/scripts/recordmcount.h b/scripts/recordmcount.h
index 9d1421e63ff82939b249382b17ab886ce4c4ccc9..49b582a225b0bc320f4447a9c53c11330bb062af 100644
--- a/scripts/recordmcount.h
+++ b/scripts/recordmcount.h
@@ -163,11 +163,11 @@ static int mcount_adjust = 0;
 
 static int MIPS_is_fake_mcount(Elf_Rel const *rp)
 {
-	static Elf_Addr old_r_offset;
+	static Elf_Addr old_r_offset = ~(Elf_Addr)0;
 	Elf_Addr current_r_offset = _w(rp->r_offset);
 	int is_fake;
 
-	is_fake = old_r_offset &&
+	is_fake = (old_r_offset != ~(Elf_Addr)0) &&
 		(current_r_offset - old_r_offset == MIPS_FAKEMCOUNT_OFFSET);
 	old_r_offset = current_r_offset;