diff --git a/include/toplevel.mk b/include/toplevel.mk
index 53c5f4772da..1b72f5443e3 100644
--- a/include/toplevel.mk
+++ b/include/toplevel.mk
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 #
 
 RELEASE:=Kamikaze
-export SHELL:=/usr/bin/env bash
 PREP_MK= OPENWRT_BUILD= QUIET=0
 
 include $(TOPDIR)/include/verbose.mk
diff --git a/rules.mk b/rules.mk
index da4728b93f9..7b5bd2c298c 100644
--- a/rules.mk
+++ b/rules.mk
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ TARGET_OPTIMIZATION:=$(call qstrip,$(CONFIG_TARGET_OPTIMIZATION))
 TARGET_SUFFIX=$(call qstrip,$(CONFIG_TARGET_SUFFIX))
 BUILD_SUFFIX:=$(call qstrip,$(CONFIG_BUILD_SUFFIX))
 SUBDIR:=$(patsubst $(TOPDIR)/%,%,${CURDIR})
+export SHELL:=/usr/bin/env bash
 
 OPTIMIZE_FOR_CPU=$(subst i386,i486,$(ARCH))