diff --git a/gnu/usr.bin/binutils/Makefile b/gnu/usr.bin/binutils/Makefile
index 558fd627bed..7eacb985104 100644
--- a/gnu/usr.bin/binutils/Makefile
+++ b/gnu/usr.bin/binutils/Makefile
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@ SUBDIR.${MK_BINUTILS}+=	doc
 # GNU as is used on x86 only, for a few files that cannot be assembled by
 # Clang IAS. Other archs either use Clang IAS for every assembly file, or
 # use external toolchain.
-.if ${TARGET} == "amd64" || ${TARGET} == "i386"
-SUBDIR.${MK_BINUTILS}+=	as
+.if (${TARGET} == "amd64" || ${TARGET} == "i386") && \
+    (${MK_BINUTILS} != "no" || ${MK_BINUTILS_BOOTSTRAP} != "no")
+SUBDIR+=	as
 .endif
 
 SUBDIR_DEPEND_as=libbfd libiberty libopcodes