diff --git a/target/linux/ath79/image/Makefile b/target/linux/ath79/image/Makefile
index a28658ec0b..1795f3d558 100644
--- a/target/linux/ath79/image/Makefile
+++ b/target/linux/ath79/image/Makefile
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ define Build/relocate-kernel
 	rm -rf $@.relocate
 endef
 
+KERNEL_DTB_LZMA := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma
 
 define Device/Default
   DEVICE_DTS_DIR := ../dts
@@ -59,8 +60,8 @@ define Device/Default
   PROFILES = Default
   MTDPARTS :=
   BLOCKSIZE := 64k
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | uImage lzma
-  KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | uImage lzma
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | uImage lzma
+  KERNEL_INITRAMFS := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | uImage lzma
   COMPILE :=
   SUPPORTED_DEVICES := $(subst _,$(comma),$(1))
   IMAGES := sysupgrade.bin
diff --git a/target/linux/ath79/image/common-mikrotik.mk b/target/linux/ath79/image/common-mikrotik.mk
index 292237c76a..de7db6aa36 100644
--- a/target/linux/ath79/image/common-mikrotik.mk
+++ b/target/linux/ath79/image/common-mikrotik.mk
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ define Device/mikrotik
 	DEVICE_VENDOR := MikroTik
 	DEVICE_PACKAGES := rbextract rbcfg
 	LOADER_TYPE := elf
-	KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | loader-kernel
-	KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | loader-kernel
+	KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | loader-kernel
+	KERNEL_INITRAMFS := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | loader-kernel
 endef
diff --git a/target/linux/ath79/image/common-tp-link.mk b/target/linux/ath79/image/common-tp-link.mk
index cfc574e4fb..5df99f0eb9 100644
--- a/target/linux/ath79/image/common-tp-link.mk
+++ b/target/linux/ath79/image/common-tp-link.mk
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ define Device/tplink-v1
   TPLINK_HWREV := 0x1
   TPLINK_HEADER_VERSION := 1
   LOADER_TYPE := gz
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma
-  KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | tplink-v1-header
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA)
+  KERNEL_INITRAMFS := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | tplink-v1-header
   IMAGES += factory.bin
   IMAGE/sysupgrade.bin := tplink-v1-image sysupgrade | append-metadata
   IMAGE/factory.bin := tplink-v1-image factory
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ define Device/tplink-v2
   TPLINK_HWREV := 0x1
   TPLINK_HWREVADD := 0x0
   TPLINK_HVERSION := 3
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma
-  KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | tplink-v2-header
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA)
+  KERNEL_INITRAMFS := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | tplink-v2-header
   IMAGE/sysupgrade.bin := tplink-v2-image -s | append-metadata | \
 	check-size $$$$(IMAGE_SIZE)
 endef
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ define Device/tplink-nolzma
   LOADER_FLASH_OFFS := 0x22000
   COMPILE := loader-$(1).gz
   COMPILE/loader-$(1).gz := loader-okli-compile
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | uImage lzma -M 0x4f4b4c49 | \
-	loader-okli $(1) 7680
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | uImage lzma -M 0x4f4b4c49 | loader-okli $(1) 7680
   KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb | gzip | tplink-v1-header
 endef
 
@@ -74,7 +73,7 @@ endef
 
 define Device/tplink-safeloader
   $(Device/tplink-v1)
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | tplink-v1-header -O
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | tplink-v1-header -O
   IMAGE/sysupgrade.bin := append-rootfs | tplink-safeloader sysupgrade | \
     append-metadata | check-size $$$$(IMAGE_SIZE)
   IMAGE/factory.bin := append-rootfs | tplink-safeloader factory
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ endef
 
 define Device/tplink-safeloader-uimage
   $(Device/tplink-safeloader)
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | uImageArcher lzma
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | uImageArcher lzma
 endef
 
 define Device/tplink-safeloader-okli
@@ -91,6 +90,5 @@ define Device/tplink-safeloader-okli
   LOADER_FLASH_OFFS := 0x43000
   COMPILE := loader-$(1).elf
   COMPILE/loader-$(1).elf := loader-okli-compile
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | uImage lzma -M 0x4f4b4c49 | \
-	loader-okli $(1) 12288
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | uImage lzma -M 0x4f4b4c49 | loader-okli $(1) 12288
 endef
diff --git a/target/linux/ath79/image/generic-tp-link.mk b/target/linux/ath79/image/generic-tp-link.mk
index 2a2384762b..458917547f 100644
--- a/target/linux/ath79/image/generic-tp-link.mk
+++ b/target/linux/ath79/image/generic-tp-link.mk
@@ -201,8 +201,7 @@ define Device/tplink_archer-d50-v1
   TPLINK_HWID := 0xC1200001
   TPLINK_HWREV := 0x00000046
   TPLINK_FLASHLAYOUT := 8Mqca
-  KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | \
-	tplink-v2-header -s -V "ver. 1.0"
+  KERNEL_INITRAMFS := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | tplink-v2-header -s -V "ver. 1.0"
 endef
 TARGET_DEVICES += tplink_archer-d50-v1
 
diff --git a/target/linux/ath79/image/generic-ubnt.mk b/target/linux/ath79/image/generic-ubnt.mk
index ffae83eda5..9fb3b9a179 100644
--- a/target/linux/ath79/image/generic-ubnt.mk
+++ b/target/linux/ath79/image/generic-ubnt.mk
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ define Device/ubnt_routerstation_common
   IMAGES := factory.bin
   IMAGE/factory.bin := append-rootfs | pad-rootfs | mkubntimage | \
 	check-size $$$$(IMAGE_SIZE)
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | pad-to $$(BLOCKSIZE)
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | pad-to $$(BLOCKSIZE)
   KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb
 endef
 
diff --git a/target/linux/ath79/image/generic.mk b/target/linux/ath79/image/generic.mk
index 1bc7b2d68e..10c5a07739 100644
--- a/target/linux/ath79/image/generic.mk
+++ b/target/linux/ath79/image/generic.mk
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ define Device/adtran_bsap1880
   SOC := ar7161
   DEVICE_VENDOR := Adtran/Bluesocket
   DEVICE_PACKAGES += -swconfig -uboot-envtools fconfig
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | pad-to $$(BLOCKSIZE)
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | pad-to $$(BLOCKSIZE)
   KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb
   IMAGE_SIZE := 11200k
   IMAGES += kernel.bin rootfs.bin
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ define Device/avm_fritz300e
   SOC := ar7242
   DEVICE_VENDOR := AVM
   DEVICE_MODEL := FRITZ!WLAN Repeater 300E
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | eva-image
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | eva-image
   KERNEL_INITRAMFS := $$(KERNEL)
   IMAGE_SIZE := 15232k
   IMAGE/sysupgrade.bin := append-kernel | pad-to 64k | \
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ define Device/avm_fritz4020
   DEVICE_VENDOR := AVM
   DEVICE_MODEL := FRITZ!Box 4020
   IMAGE_SIZE := 15232k
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | eva-image
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | eva-image
   KERNEL_INITRAMFS := $$(KERNEL)
   IMAGE/sysupgrade.bin := append-kernel | pad-to 64k | \
 	append-squashfs-fakeroot-be | pad-to 256 | append-rootfs | pad-rootfs | \
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ define Device/jjplus_ja76pf2
   IMAGES := kernel.bin rootfs.bin
   IMAGE/kernel.bin := append-kernel
   IMAGE/rootfs.bin := append-rootfs | pad-rootfs
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | pad-to $$(BLOCKSIZE)
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | pad-to $$(BLOCKSIZE)
   KERNEL_INITRAMFS := kernel-bin | append-dtb
   IMAGE_SIZE := 16000k
   SUPPORTED_DEVICES += ja76pf2
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ define Device/pisen_wmb001n
   COMPILE/loader-$(1).bin := loader-okli-compile
   COMPILE/loader-$(1).uImage := append-loader-okli $(1) | pad-to 64k | lzma | \
 	uImage lzma
-  KERNEL := kernel-bin | append-dtb | lzma | uImage lzma -M 0x4f4b4c49
+  KERNEL := $(KERNEL_DTB_LZMA) | uImage lzma -M 0x4f4b4c49
   IMAGES += factory.bin
   IMAGE/factory.bin := $$(IMAGE/sysupgrade.bin) | pisen_wmb001n-factory $(1)
 endef
