diff --git a/arch/xtensa/Makefile b/arch/xtensa/Makefile
index 136224b74d4f..81250ece3062 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/Makefile
+++ b/arch/xtensa/Makefile
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_LD_NO_RELAX),)
 LDFLAGS := --no-relax
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(shell echo -e __XTENSA_EB__ | $(CC) -E - | grep -v "\#"),1)
+ifeq ($(shell echo __XTENSA_EB__ | $(CC) -E - | grep -v "\#"),1)
 CHECKFLAGS += -D__XTENSA_EB__
 endif
-ifeq ($(shell echo -e __XTENSA_EL__ | $(CC) -E - | grep -v "\#"),1)
+ifeq ($(shell echo __XTENSA_EL__ | $(CC) -E - | grep -v "\#"),1)
 CHECKFLAGS += -D__XTENSA_EL__
 endif
 
diff --git a/arch/xtensa/boot/Makefile b/arch/xtensa/boot/Makefile
index 64ffc4b53df6..ca20a892021b 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/boot/Makefile
+++ b/arch/xtensa/boot/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= -fno-builtin -Iarch/$(ARCH)/boot/include
 HOSTFLAGS	+= -Iarch/$(ARCH)/boot/include
 
-BIG_ENDIAN	:= $(shell echo -e __XTENSA_EB__ | $(CC) -E - | grep -v "\#")
+BIG_ENDIAN	:= $(shell echo __XTENSA_EB__ | $(CC) -E - | grep -v "\#")
 
 export ccflags-y
 export BIG_ENDIAN