diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4db22c3a8555..9fbf7ef6e394 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1102,10 +1102,6 @@ export MODLIB
 
 PHONY += prepare0
 
-export extmod_prefix =
-export MODORDER := $(extmod_prefix)modules.order
-export MODULES_NSDEPS := $(extmod_prefix)modules.nsdeps
-
 ifeq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
 
 build-dir	:= .
@@ -1862,7 +1858,7 @@ endif
 
 ifdef CONFIG_MODULES
 
-$(MODORDER): $(build-dir)
+modules.order: $(build-dir)
 	@:
 
 # KBUILD_MODPOST_NOFINAL can be set to skip the final link of modules.
@@ -1873,7 +1869,7 @@ ifneq ($(KBUILD_MODPOST_NOFINAL),1)
 endif
 
 PHONY += modules_check
-modules_check: $(MODORDER)
+modules_check: modules.order
 	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/modules-check.sh $<
 
 else # CONFIG_MODULES
@@ -1914,15 +1910,15 @@ $(single-ko): single_modules
 $(single-no-ko): $(build-dir)
 	@:
 
-# Remove MODORDER when done because it is not the real one.
+# Remove modules.order when done because it is not the real one.
 PHONY += single_modules
 single_modules: $(single-no-ko) modules_prepare
-	$(Q){ $(foreach m, $(single-ko), echo $(extmod_prefix)$(m:%.ko=%.o);) } > $(MODORDER)
+	$(Q){ $(foreach m, $(single-ko), echo $(extmod_prefix)$(m:%.ko=%.o);) } > modules.order
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.modpost
 ifneq ($(KBUILD_MODPOST_NOFINAL),1)
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
 endif
-	$(Q)rm -f $(MODORDER)
+	$(Q)rm -f modules.order
 
 single-goals := $(addprefix $(build-dir)/, $(single-no-ko))
 
@@ -1999,12 +1995,12 @@ nsdeps: modules
 quiet_cmd_gen_compile_commands = GEN     $@
       cmd_gen_compile_commands = $(PYTHON3) $< -a $(AR) -o $@ $(filter-out $<, $(real-prereqs))
 
-$(extmod_prefix)compile_commands.json: $(srctree)/scripts/clang-tools/gen_compile_commands.py \
+compile_commands.json: $(srctree)/scripts/clang-tools/gen_compile_commands.py \
 	$(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD),, vmlinux.a $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS)) \
-	$(if $(CONFIG_MODULES), $(MODORDER)) FORCE
+	$(if $(CONFIG_MODULES), modules.order) FORCE
 	$(call if_changed,gen_compile_commands)
 
-targets += $(extmod_prefix)compile_commands.json
+targets += compile_commands.json
 
 PHONY += clang-tidy clang-analyzer
 
@@ -2012,7 +2008,7 @@ ifdef CONFIG_CC_IS_CLANG
 quiet_cmd_clang_tools = CHECK   $<
       cmd_clang_tools = $(PYTHON3) $(srctree)/scripts/clang-tools/run-clang-tools.py $@ $<
 
-clang-tidy clang-analyzer: $(extmod_prefix)compile_commands.json
+clang-tidy clang-analyzer: compile_commands.json
 	$(call cmd,clang_tools)
 else
 clang-tidy clang-analyzer:
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modfinal b/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
index 6d8aa3059ee2..1d787b867c6d 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ include $(srctree)/scripts/Kbuild.include
 include $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.lib
 
 # find all modules listed in modules.order
-modules := $(call read-file, $(MODORDER))
+modules := $(call read-file, modules.order)
 
 __modfinal: $(modules:%.o=%.ko)
 	@:
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modinst b/scripts/Makefile.modinst
index 2d39d452c49e..1ec739d138b3 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modinst
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modinst
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ $(addprefix $(MODLIB)/, modules.builtin modules.builtin.modinfo modules.builtin.
 
 endif
 
-modules := $(call read-file, $(MODORDER))
+modules := $(call read-file, modules.order)
 
 ifeq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
 dst := $(MODLIB)/kernel
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modpost b/scripts/Makefile.modpost
index ccca705bc389..586456c72e6d 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modpost
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modpost
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ modpost-args =										\
 	$(if $(CONFIG_MODULE_SRCVERSION_ALL),-a)					\
 	$(if $(CONFIG_SECTION_MISMATCH_WARN_ONLY),,-E)					\
 	$(if $(KBUILD_MODPOST_WARN),-w)							\
-	$(if $(KBUILD_NSDEPS),-d $(MODULES_NSDEPS))					\
+	$(if $(KBUILD_NSDEPS),-d modules.nsdeps)					\
 	$(if $(CONFIG_MODULE_ALLOW_MISSING_NAMESPACE_IMPORTS)$(KBUILD_NSDEPS),-N)	\
 	$(if $(findstring 1, $(KBUILD_EXTRA_WARN)),-W)					\
 	-o $@
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ endif
 # Read out modules.order to pass in modpost.
 # Otherwise, allmodconfig would fail with "Argument list too long".
 ifdef KBUILD_MODULES
-modpost-args += -T $(MODORDER)
-modpost-deps += $(MODORDER)
+modpost-args += -T modules.order
+modpost-deps += modules.order
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
diff --git a/scripts/nsdeps b/scripts/nsdeps
index 8b4db63838ce..3192a3945871 100644
--- a/scripts/nsdeps
+++ b/scripts/nsdeps
@@ -57,4 +57,4 @@ generate_deps() {
 while read line
 do
 	generate_deps $line
-done < $MODULES_NSDEPS
+done < modules.nsdeps
