diff --git a/include/toplevel.mk b/include/toplevel.mk
index 7949668a1526ec992bfc3ba6d5ddd372597b02ea..7527429aeea1f341564635d6eac3bdabc562167c 100644
--- a/include/toplevel.mk
+++ b/include/toplevel.mk
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ else
 		cp .config tmp/.config; \
 		./scripts/config/conf $(KCONF_FLAGS) --defconfig=tmp/.config -w tmp/.config Config.in > /dev/null 2>&1; \
 		if ./scripts/kconfig.pl '>' .config tmp/.config | grep -q CONFIG; then \
-			printf "$(_R)WARNING: your configuration is out of sync. Please run make menuconfig, oldconfig or defconfig!$(_N)\n" >&2; exit 1; \
+			printf "$(_R)WARNING: your configuration is out of sync. Please run make menuconfig, oldconfig or defconfig!$(_N)\n" >&2; \
 		fi \
 	)
 	@+$(ULIMIT_FIX) $(SUBMAKE) -r $@ $(if $(WARN_PARALLEL_ERROR), || { \