diff --git a/package/libopenssl/libopenssl.mk b/package/libopenssl/libopenssl.mk
index 3043aa1c26..9ece6b745f 100644
--- a/package/libopenssl/libopenssl.mk
+++ b/package/libopenssl/libopenssl.mk
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ endef
 
 define LIBOPENSSL_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
 	$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) -C $(@D) DESTDIR=$(TARGET_DIR) install
-	rm -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/ssl
-	rm -f $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/c_rehash
+	$(RM) -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/ssl
+	$(RM) -f $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/c_rehash
 endef
 
 # libdl has no business in a static build
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ endif
 
 ifneq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBOPENSSL_ENGINES),y)
 define LIBOPENSSL_REMOVE_LIBOPENSSL_ENGINES
-	rm -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/engines-1.1
+	$(RM) -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/engines-1.1
 endef
 LIBOPENSSL_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += LIBOPENSSL_REMOVE_LIBOPENSSL_ENGINES
 endif