diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
index c15e13e7d22d..5b76dba8d406 100644
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ doSTDKERNEL:
 			make KERNEL=${KERNEL} DESTDIR=${RD}/kernels install && \
 			[ -r ${.CURDIR}/../sys/${MACHINE}/conf/${KERNEL}.hints ] && \
 			cp ${.CURDIR}/../sys/${MACHINE}/conf/${KERNEL}.hints ${RD}/kernels
-			make KERNEL=${kernel} DESTDIR=${RD}/kernels kernel-reinstall.debug
+			make KERNEL=${KERNEL} DESTDIR=${RD}/kernels kernel-reinstall.debug
 
 #
 # --==## Put a filesystem into a BOOTMFS kernel ##==--