diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.gcc-plugins b/scripts/Makefile.gcc-plugins
index 5e22b60..bbca1f4 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.gcc-plugins
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.gcc-plugins
@@ -23,21 +23,37 @@
 
   export PLUGINCC GCC_PLUGINS_CFLAGS GCC_PLUGIN SANCOV_PLUGIN
 
-  ifeq ($(PLUGINCC),)
-    ifneq ($(GCC_PLUGINS_CFLAGS),)
-      ifeq ($(call cc-ifversion, -ge, 0405, y), y)
-        PLUGINCC := $(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) -x $(srctree)/scripts/gcc-plugin.sh "$(__PLUGINCC)" "$(HOSTCXX)" "$(CC)")
-        $(warning warning: your gcc installation does not support plugins, perhaps the necessary headers are missing?)
-      else
-        $(warning warning: your gcc version does not support plugins, you should upgrade it to gcc 4.5 at least)
-      endif
-    endif
-  else
+  ifneq ($(PLUGINCC),)
     # SANCOV_PLUGIN can be only in CFLAGS_KCOV because avoid duplication.
     GCC_PLUGINS_CFLAGS := $(filter-out $(SANCOV_PLUGIN), $(GCC_PLUGINS_CFLAGS))
   endif
 
   KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(GCC_PLUGINS_CFLAGS)
   GCC_PLUGIN := $(gcc-plugin-y)
-
 endif
+
+# If plugins aren't supported, abort the build before hard-to-read compiler
+# errors start getting spewed by the main build.
+PHONY += gcc-plugins-check
+gcc-plugins-check: FORCE
+ifdef CONFIG_GCC_PLUGINS
+  ifeq ($(PLUGINCC),)
+    ifneq ($(GCC_PLUGINS_CFLAGS),)
+      ifeq ($(call cc-ifversion, -ge, 0405, y), y)
+	$(Q)$(srctree)/scripts/gcc-plugin.sh --show-error "$(__PLUGINCC)" "$(HOSTCXX)" "$(CC)" || true
+	@echo "Cannot use CONFIG_GCC_PLUGINS: your gcc installation does not support plugins, perhaps the necessary headers are missing?" >&2 && exit 1
+      else
+	@echo "Cannot use CONFIG_GCC_PLUGINS: your gcc version does not support plugins, you should upgrade it to at least gcc 4.5" >&2 && exit 1
+      endif
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+	@:
+
+# Actually do the build, if requested.
+PHONY += gcc-plugins
+gcc-plugins: scripts_basic gcc-plugins-check
+ifdef CONFIG_GCC_PLUGINS
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=scripts/gcc-plugins
+endif
+	@: