diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index 1af43509f..09fa5caad 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -9,47 +9,27 @@ x86_64/kernel.img:
 		docker run --rm --read-only --net=none --log-driver=none --tmpfs /tmp -i $(TAR2INITRD_IMAGE) > $@
 
 ifdef AUFS
-x86_64/vmlinuz64: Dockerfile.aufs kernel_config kernel_config.debug kernel_config.aufs patches-4.9
-	mkdir -p x86_64 etc lib usr sbin
-	BUILD=$$( tar cf - $^ | docker build -f Dockerfile.aufs --build-arg DEBUG=$(DEBUG) -q - ) && [ -n "$$BUILD" ] && echo "Built $$BUILD" && \
-	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $$BUILD cat aufs-utils.tar | tar xf - && \
-	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $$BUILD cat kernel-source-info > etc/kernel-source-info && \
-	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $$BUILD tar cf - bzImage kernel-dev.tar kernel-headers.tar vmlinux kernel-modules.tar | tar xf - -C x86_64
-	mv x86_64/bzImage $@
-	rm -rf etc/kernel-patches
-	mkdir -p etc/kernel-patches
-	cp -a patches-4.9/* etc/kernel-patches
-	tar xf x86_64/kernel-modules.tar
-	$(MAKE) x86_64/kernel.img
+kernel.tag: Dockerfile.aufs kernel_config kernel_config.debug kernel_config.aufs patches-4.9
 else
 ifdef LTS4.4
-x86_64/vmlinuz64: Dockerfile.4.4 kernel_config kernel_config.debug kernel_config.4.4 patches-4.4
-	mkdir -p x86_64 etc lib usr sbin
-	BUILD=$$( tar cf - $^ | docker build -f Dockerfile.4.4 --build-arg DEBUG=$(DEBUG) -q - ) && [ -n "$$BUILD" ] && echo "Built $$BUILD" && \
-	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $$BUILD cat kernel-source-info > etc/kernel-source-info && \
-	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $$BUILD tar cf - bzImage kernel-dev.tar kernel-headers.tar vmlinux kernel-modules.tar | tar xf - -C x86_64
-	mv x86_64/bzImage $@
-	rm -rf etc/kernel-patches
-	mkdir -p etc/kernel-patches
-	cp -a patches-4.4/* etc/kernel-patches
-	tar xf x86_64/kernel-modules.tar
-	$(MAKE) x86_64/kernel.img
+kernel.tag: Dockerfile.4.4 kernel_config kernel_config.debug kernel_config.4.4 patches-4.4
 else
-x86_64/vmlinuz64: Dockerfile kernel_config kernel_config.debug patches-4.9
-	mkdir -p x86_64 etc lib usr sbin
-	BUILD=$$( tar cf - $^ | docker build --build-arg DEBUG=$(DEBUG) -q - ) && [ -n "$$BUILD" ] && echo "Built $$BUILD" && \
-	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $$BUILD cat kernel-source-info > etc/kernel-source-info && \
-	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $$BUILD tar cf - bzImage kernel-dev.tar kernel-headers.tar vmlinux kernel-modules.tar | tar xf - -C x86_64
-	mv x86_64/bzImage $@
+kernel.tag: Dockerfile kernel_config kernel_config.debug patches-4.9
+endif
+endif
+	BUILD=$$( tar cf - $^ | docker build -f $< --build-arg DEBUG=$(DEBUG) -q - ) && [ -n "$$BUILD" ] && echo "Built $$BUILD" && echo "$$BUILD" > $@
+
+x86_64/vmlinuz64: kernel.tag
 	rm -rf etc/kernel-patches
-	mkdir -p etc/kernel-patches
-	cp -a patches-4.9/* etc/kernel-patches
+	mkdir -p x86_64 etc lib usr sbin etc/kernel-patches
+	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $(shell cat kernel.tag) cat kernel-source-info > etc/kernel-source-info
+	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $(shell cat kernel.tag) tar cf - bzImage kernel-dev.tar kernel-headers.tar vmlinux kernel-modules.tar | tar xf - -C x86_64
+	docker run --rm --net=none --log-driver=none $(shell cat kernel.tag) tar cf - -C patches . | tar xf - -C etc/kernel-patches
+	mv x86_64/bzImage $@
 	tar xf x86_64/kernel-modules.tar
 	$(MAKE) x86_64/kernel.img
-endif
-endif
 
 clean:
-	rm -rf x86_64 lib etc usr sbin
+	rm -rf x86_64 lib etc usr sbin kernel.tag
 
 .DELETE_ON_ERROR: