diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/Makefile b/xen/arch/arm/Makefile
index 982c6c396a..84c4062b30 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/Makefile
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/Makefile
@@ -99,9 +99,21 @@ $(TARGET)-syms: $(objtree)/prelink.o $(obj)/xen.lds
 		| $(objtree)/tools/symbols $(all_symbols) --sysv --sort \
 		> $(dot-target).2.S
 	$(MAKE) $(build)=$(@D) $(dot-target).2.o
-	$(call compare-symbol-tables, $(dot-target).1.o, $(dot-target).2.o)
+	if ! { $(call compare-symbol-tables, $(dot-target).1.o, $(dot-target).2.o) >/dev/null; }; \
+	then \
+		set -e; \
+		$(LD) $(XEN_LDFLAGS) -T $(obj)/xen.lds $< $(build_id_linker) \
+		    $(dot-target).2.o -o $(dot-target).2; \
+		$(NM) -pa --format=sysv $(dot-target).2 \
+			| $(objtree)/tools/symbols $(all_symbols) --sysv --sort \
+			> $(dot-target).3.S; \
+		$(MAKE) $(build)=$(@D) $(dot-target).3.o; \
+		$(call compare-symbol-tables, $(dot-target).2.o, $(dot-target).3.o); \
+	else \
+		ln -sf $(dot-target).2.o $(dot-target).3.o; \
+	fi
 	$(LD) $(XEN_LDFLAGS) -T $(obj)/xen.lds $< $(build_id_linker) \
-	    $(dot-target).2.o -o $@
+	    $(dot-target).3.o -o $@
 	$(NM) -pa --format=sysv $@ \
 		| $(objtree)/tools/symbols --all-symbols --xensyms --sysv --sort \
 		> $@.map
diff --git a/xen/scripts/Kbuild.include b/xen/scripts/Kbuild.include
index d5e36e7f55..41483513ac 100644
--- a/xen/scripts/Kbuild.include
+++ b/xen/scripts/Kbuild.include
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ define compare-symbol-tables
     $(OBJDUMP) -t $(@D)/.cst.$$$$ > $(1).sym; \
     ln -f $(2) $(@D)/.cst.$$$$; \
     $(OBJDUMP) -t $(@D)/.cst.$$$$ > $(2).sym; \
-    rm -f $(@D)/.cst.$$$$
+    rm -f $(@D)/.cst.$$$$; \
     diff -u $(1).sym $(2).sym
 endef