diff --git a/util/kconfig/Makefile b/util/kconfig/Makefile
index a7d3855..ffd5253 100644
--- a/util/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/util/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -34,8 +34,10 @@
 nconfig: $(objk)/nconf
 	$< $(Kconfig)
 
+# Disable strict mode because oldconfig is typically used to clean up
+# templates and the like. The second invocation should already have sane data.
 oldconfig: $(objk)/conf
-	$< --$@ $(Kconfig)
+	KCONFIG_STRICT= $< --$@ $(Kconfig)
 	$< --silentoldconfig $(Kconfig)
 
 silentoldconfig: $(objk)/conf