diff --git a/include/toplevel.mk b/include/toplevel.mk
index 2965f75c7c..ad8e5b8f20 100644
--- a/include/toplevel.mk
+++ b/include/toplevel.mk
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ scripts/config/%onf: export PATH:=$(dir $(DISTRO_PKG_CONFIG)):$(PATH)
 endif
 scripts/config/%onf: CFLAGS+= -O2
 scripts/config/%onf:
-	@$(_SINGLE)$(SUBMAKE) -s -C scripts/config $(notdir $@) CC="$(HOSTCC_WRAPPER)"
+	@$(_SINGLE)$(SUBMAKE) $(if $(findstring s,$(OPENWRT_VERBOSE)),,-s) \
+		-C scripts/config $(notdir $@) CC="$(HOSTCC_WRAPPER)"
 
 $(eval $(call rdep,scripts/config,scripts/config/mconf))