diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 13270c0..5ccbb58 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -661,14 +661,7 @@
 endif
 KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(stackp-flag)
 
-ifeq ($(shell $(CC) -v 2>&1 | grep -c "clang version"), 1)
-COMPILER := clang
-else
-COMPILER := gcc
-endif
-export COMPILER
-
-ifeq ($(COMPILER),clang)
+ifeq ($(cc-name),clang)
 KBUILD_CPPFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-Qunused-arguments,)
 KBUILD_CPPFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-Wno-unknown-warning-option,)
 KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-disable-warning, unused-variable)
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/Makefile b/arch/powerpc/Makefile
index 05f464e..dfe8889 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/powerpc/Makefile
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_CPU_LITTLE_ENDIAN),y)
 override CC	+= -mlittle-endian
-ifneq ($(COMPILER),clang)
+ifneq ($(cc-name),clang)
 override CC	+= -mno-strict-align
 endif
 override AS	+= -mlittle-endian
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@
 # - Require gcc 4.0 or above on 64-bit
 # - gcc-4.2.0 has issues compiling modules on 64-bit
 checkbin:
-	@if test "${COMPILER}" != "clang" \
+	@if test "$(cc-name)" != "clang" \
 	    && test "$(cc-version)" = "0304" ; then \
 		if ! /bin/echo mftb 5 | $(AS) -v -mppc -many -o $(TOUT) >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then \
 			echo -n '*** ${VERSION}.${PATCHLEVEL} kernels no longer build '; \
@@ -342,14 +342,14 @@
 			false; \
 		fi ; \
 	fi
-	@if test "${COMPILER}" != "clang" \
+	@if test "$(cc-name)" != "clang" \
 	    && test "$(cc-version)" -lt "0400" \
 	    && test "x${CONFIG_PPC64}" = "xy" ; then \
                 echo -n "Sorry, GCC v4.0 or above is required to build " ; \
                 echo "the 64-bit powerpc kernel." ; \
                 false ; \
         fi
-	@if test "${COMPILER}" != "clang" \
+	@if test "$(cc-name)" != "clang" \
 	    && test "$(cc-fullversion)" = "040200" \
 	    && test "x${CONFIG_MODULES}${CONFIG_PPC64}" = "xyy" ; then \
 		echo -n '*** GCC-4.2.0 cannot compile the 64-bit powerpc ' ; \
diff --git a/scripts/Kbuild.include b/scripts/Kbuild.include
index d3437b8..3523df6 100644
--- a/scripts/Kbuild.include
+++ b/scripts/Kbuild.include
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@
 cc-disable-warning = $(call try-run,\
 	$(CC) $(KBUILD_CPPFLAGS) $(KBUILD_CFLAGS) -W$(strip $(1)) -c -x c /dev/null -o "$$TMP",-Wno-$(strip $(1)))
 
+# cc-name
+# Expands to either gcc or clang
+cc-name = $(shell $(CC) -v 2>&1 | grep -q "clang version" && echo clang || echo gcc)
+
 # cc-version
 cc-version = $(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/gcc-version.sh $(CC))
 
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.extrawarn b/scripts/Makefile.extrawarn
index f734033..4efedcbe 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.extrawarn
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.extrawarn
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(warning)
 else
 
-ifeq ($(COMPILER),clang)
+ifeq ($(cc-name),clang)
 KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-disable-warning, initializer-overrides)
 KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-disable-warning, unused-value)
 KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-disable-warning, format)