diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 110d898aca..26f11a4c33 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -2104,7 +2104,7 @@ endif # BUILDING_RAMDISK_IMAGE
 #
 # Note: it's intentional to skip signing for boot-debug.img, because it
 # can only be used if the device is unlocked with verification error.
-ifdef BUILDING_BOOT_IMAGE
+ifneq ($(INSTALLED_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET),)
 ifneq ($(strip $(TARGET_NO_KERNEL)),true)
 ifneq ($(strip $(BOARD_KERNEL_BINARIES)),)
   INSTALLED_DEBUG_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET := $(foreach k,$(subst kernel,boot-debug,$(BOARD_KERNEL_BINARIES)), \
@@ -2159,7 +2159,7 @@ bootimage_debug-nodeps: $(MKBOOTIMG)
 	$(foreach b,$(INSTALLED_DEBUG_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET),$(call build-debug-bootimage-target,$b))
 
 endif # TARGET_NO_KERNEL
-endif # BUILDING_BOOT_IMAGE
+endif # INSTALLED_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET
 
 ifeq ($(BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE),true)
 ifeq ($(BUILDING_RAMDISK_IMAGE),true)