diff --git a/arch/mips/Makefile b/arch/mips/Makefile
index 0e0aa64a9c881f7dbaa636ae565010b542ecd9cd..3db0df37d66ad9d690bc774ced52fd28bed9c57d 100644
--- a/arch/mips/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/Makefile
@@ -515,6 +515,19 @@ $(generic_defconfigs):
 #
 $(generic_config_dir)/%.config: ;
 
+#
+# Prevent direct use of generic_defconfig, which is intended to be used as the
+# basis of the various ISA-specific targets generated above.
+#
+.PHONY: generic_defconfig
+generic_defconfig:
+	$(Q)echo "generic_defconfig is not intended for direct use, but should instead be"
+	$(Q)echo "used via an ISA-specific target from the following list:"
+	$(Q)echo
+	$(Q)for cfg in $(generic_defconfigs); do echo "  $${cfg}"; done
+	$(Q)echo
+	$(Q)false
+
 #
 # Legacy defconfig compatibility - these targets used to be real defconfigs but
 # now that the boards have been converted to use the generic kernel they are