diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 13270c0a93363f..dc868bcdaf4538 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -597,6 +597,11 @@ endif # $(dot-config)
 # Defaults to vmlinux, but the arch makefile usually adds further targets
 all: vmlinux
 
+# The arch Makefile can set ARCH_{CPP,A,C}FLAGS to override the default
+# values of the respective KBUILD_* variables
+ARCH_CPPFLAGS :=
+ARCH_AFLAGS :=
+ARCH_CFLAGS :=
 include arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
 
 KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= $(call cc-option,-fno-delete-null-pointer-checks,)