diff --git a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/eclass/coreos-kernel.eclass b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/eclass/coreos-kernel.eclass
index a72ac5f46f..7660d0be9f 100644
--- a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/eclass/coreos-kernel.eclass
+++ b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/eclass/coreos-kernel.eclass
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ coreos-kernel_src_configure() {
 	fi
 
 	# Use default for any options not explitly set in defconfig
-	yes "" | kmake oldconfig
+	kmake olddefconfig
 
 	# For convinence, generate a minimal defconfig of the build
 	kmake savedefconfig
diff --git a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/sys-kernel/README b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/sys-kernel/README
index 21866b1288..8cfa054ecf 100644
--- a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/sys-kernel/README
+++ b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/sys-kernel/README
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ on the ebuild version and revision. For example version 3.12.4-r2:
  - amd64_defconfig
 
 To modify the defconfig to .config in the kernel source and run:
-  yes "" | make oldconfig
+  make olddefconfig
   make menuconfig
   make savedefconfig
 and copy defconfig back to coreos-kernel/files