diff --git a/kernel/Dockerfile b/kernel/Dockerfile
index 7b1d59f58..eeb29b56a 100644
--- a/kernel/Dockerfile
+++ b/kernel/Dockerfile
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ RUN printf "KERNEL_SOURCE=${KERNEL_SOURCE}\n" > /out/kernel-source-info
 # perf
 # Skip for 4.4.x (the compile is broken and tedious to fix) and 4.9.x (the
 # compile broke with 4.9.94)
-RUN if [ "${KERNEL_SERIES}" != "4.4.x" && "${KERNEL_SERIES}" != "4.9.x" ]; then \
+RUN if [ "${KERNEL_SERIES}" != "4.4.x" ] && [ "${KERNEL_SERIES}" != "4.9.x" ]; then \
        mkdir -p /build/perf && \
        make -C tools/perf LDFLAGS=-static O=/build/perf && \
        strip /build/perf/perf && \
diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index 049f3a79f..ff2eeb583 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ fetch: sources/linux-$(1).tar.xz
 # with DCT as part of the dependency on build_$(2)$(3)$(4) and then build
 # with DOCKER_CONTENT_TRUST explicitly set to 0
 
-ifneq ($(2), 4.4.x)
-# perf does not build out of the box for 4.4.x and 4.4.x is not that relevant anymore to work on a fix
+ifneq ($(2), $(filter $(2),4.4.x 4.9.x))
+# perf does not build out of the box for 4.4.x and 4.9.x
 build_perf_$(2)$(3)$(4): build_$(2)$(3)$(4)
 	docker pull $(ORG)/$(IMAGE_PERF):$(1)$(3)$(4)-$(TAG)$(SUFFIX) || \
 		 DOCKER_CONTENT_TRUST=0 docker build -f Dockerfile.perf \