diff --git a/scripts/check-toolchain-clean.sh b/scripts/check-toolchain-clean.sh
index 34b82dec5d2..455cfb0449f 100755
--- a/scripts/check-toolchain-clean.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-toolchain-clean.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,13 @@
 eval "$(grep CONFIG_GCC_VERSION .config)"
 CONFIG_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER="$CONFIG_GCC_VERSION-$(cat toolchain/build_version)"
 touch .toolchain_build_ver
-[ "$CONFIG_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER" = "$(cat .toolchain_build_ver)" ] && exit 0
-echo "Toolchain build version changed, running make targetclean"
+CURRENT_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER="$(cat .toolchain_build_ver)"
+[ -z "$CURRENT_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER" ] && {
+	echo "$CONFIG_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER" > .toolchain_build_ver
+	exit 0
+}
+[ "$CONFIG_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER" = "$CURRENT_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER" ] && exit 0
+echo "Toolchain build version changed ($CONFIG_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER != $CURRENT_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER), running make targetclean"
 make targetclean
 echo "$CONFIG_TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_VER" > .toolchain_build_ver
 exit 0