diff --git a/kernel/bpf/preload/Makefile b/kernel/bpf/preload/Makefile
index 23ee310b6eb49c7404667e5f9c94cadbabf0d005..1951332dd15f5c420eccdcd8754620a04dac39d6 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/preload/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/bpf/preload/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@ LIBBPF_SRCS = $(srctree)/tools/lib/bpf/
 LIBBPF_A = $(obj)/libbpf.a
 LIBBPF_OUT = $(abspath $(obj))
 
+# Although not in use by libbpf's Makefile, set $(O) so that the "dummy" test
+# in tools/scripts/Makefile.include always succeeds when building the kernel
+# with $(O) pointing to a relative path, as in "make O=build bindeb-pkg".
 $(LIBBPF_A):
-	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(LIBBPF_SRCS) OUTPUT=$(LIBBPF_OUT)/ $(LIBBPF_OUT)/libbpf.a
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(LIBBPF_SRCS) O=$(LIBBPF_OUT)/ OUTPUT=$(LIBBPF_OUT)/ $(LIBBPF_OUT)/libbpf.a
 
 userccflags += -I $(srctree)/tools/include/ -I $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi \
 	-I $(srctree)/tools/lib/ -Wno-unused-result