--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -21,10 +21,15 @@
 export LC_ALL=C
 export LANG=C
 export TOPDIR=${shell pwd}
-include $(TOPDIR)/include/verbose.mk
 ifeq ($(KBUILD_VERBOSE),99)
   MAKE:=3>/dev/null $(MAKE)
 endif
+ifneq ($(shell tty -s <&3 || echo x),x)
+  IS_TTY=1
+  export IS_TTY
+endif
+
+include $(TOPDIR)/include/verbose.mk
 
 OPENWRTVERSION:=$(RELEASE)
 ifneq ($(VERSION),)

--- a/include/verbose.mk
+++ b/include/verbose.mk
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   KBUILD_VERBOSE:=$(V)
 endif
 
-ifneq ($(shell tty -s <&3 || echo x),x)
+ifeq ($(IS_TTY),1)
   _Y:="\\33[33m"# yellow
   _N:="\\33[m"#	normal
 endif