diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index 597a5660c33c14e47cc8b77425b38c6d14e0eccc..ed1a51972f55fd5de0e290c46b756388668bd80f 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -102,14 +102,6 @@ CFLAGS := $(KBUILD_CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS)
 
 BCURDIR = $(subst $(SRCTREE)/,,$(CURDIR:$(obj)%=%))
 
-ifeq ($(findstring examples/,$(BCURDIR)),)
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_SPL_BUILD),)
-ifdef FTRACE
-CFLAGS += -finstrument-functions -DFTRACE
-endif
-endif
-endif
-
 AFLAGS := $(KBUILD_AFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS)
 
 LDFLAGS += $(PLATFORM_LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/examples/api/Makefile b/examples/api/Makefile
index 52f43680fc610cdef26fc90ddee82492ff847260..ee3c487c13253904593e09376730a7b20984c5ac 100644
--- a/examples/api/Makefile
+++ b/examples/api/Makefile
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier:	GPL-2.0+
 #
 
+ifdef FTRACE
+CFLAGS += -finstrument-functions -DFTRACE
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(ARCH),powerpc)
 LOAD_ADDR = 0x40000
 endif
diff --git a/examples/standalone/Makefile b/examples/standalone/Makefile
index cad440954e1e2d8e6e6e8b4aaf73c9f00670b855..1f8d70ce8a73f78015a0b8ce96bde89d7ec50485 100644
--- a/examples/standalone/Makefile
+++ b/examples/standalone/Makefile
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier:	GPL-2.0+
 #
 
+ifdef FTRACE
+CFLAGS += -finstrument-functions -DFTRACE
+endif
+
 extra-y        := hello_world
 extra-$(CONFIG_SMC91111)           += smc91111_eeprom
 extra-$(CONFIG_SMC911X)            += smc911x_eeprom