diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b6a091a7d23ea3a616b481b4e3f70783bbe67d39..0766f78dcbbf69788b0154a300b7d19081457279 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1889,6 +1889,7 @@ checkarmreloc: u-boot
 	fi
 
 tools/version.h: include/version.h
+	$(Q)mkdir -p $(dir $@)
 	$(call if_changed,copy)
 
 envtools: scripts_basic $(version_h) $(timestamp_h) tools/version.h