diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 4eabdbdf6d..ed64285a87 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -305,9 +305,6 @@ ifneq ($(BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE),true)
   BOARD_GENERIC_RAMDISK_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD += $(BOARD_VENDOR_RAMDISK_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD)
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD),)
-  BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD := $(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES)
-endif
 ifeq ($(BOARD_GENERIC_RAMDISK_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD),)
   BOARD_GENERIC_RAMDISK_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD := $(BOARD_GENERIC_RAMDISK_KERNEL_MODULES)
 endif
@@ -319,6 +316,9 @@ ifneq ($(strip $(BOARD_GENERIC_RAMDISK_KERNEL_MODULES)),)
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(strip $(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES))$(strip $(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES_ARCHIVE)),)
+  ifeq ($(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD),)
+    BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD := $(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES)
+  endif
   ALL_DEFAULT_INSTALLED_MODULES += $(call copy-many-files,$(call build-image-kernel-modules,$(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES),$(TARGET_RECOVERY_ROOT_OUT),,$(call intermediates-dir-for,PACKAGING,depmod_recovery),$(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES_LOAD),modules.load.recovery,$(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES_ARCHIVE),))
 endif
 ifeq ($(BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT), true)