diff --git a/arch/xtensa/Makefile b/arch/xtensa/Makefile
index f973754ddf90..b201d4486098 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/Makefile
+++ b/arch/xtensa/Makefile
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ PLATFORM = $(platform-y)
 export PLATFORM
 
 # temporarily until string.h is fixed
-KBUILD_CFLAGS += -ffreestanding
+KBUILD_CFLAGS += -ffreestanding -D__linux__
 
 KBUILD_CFLAGS += -pipe -mlongcalls