diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c581067320..fa82afa49c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1223,7 +1223,7 @@ define list-defconfigs
 		[ -f "$${defconfig}" ] || continue; \
 		if $${first}; then \
 			if [ "$(2)" ]; then \
-				printf 'External configs in "$(call qstrip,$(2))":\n'; \
+				printf 'External configs in "%s":\n' "$(call qstrip,$(2))"; \
 			else \
 				printf "Built-in configs:\n"; \
 			fi; \