diff --git a/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh b/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
index c4b71d315..9c35f5a79 100755
--- a/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
+++ b/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ gen_btf()
 	vmlinux_link ${1}
 
 	info "BTF" ${2}
-	LLVM_OBJCOPY=${OBJCOPY} ${PAHOLE} -J ${extra_paholeopt} ${1}
+	LLVM_OBJCOPY="${OBJCOPY}" ${PAHOLE} -J ${extra_paholeopt} ${1}
 
 	# Create ${2} which contains just .BTF section but no symbols. Add
 	# SHF_ALLOC because .BTF will be part of the vmlinux image. --strip-all