diff --git a/tools/power/cpupower/Makefile b/tools/power/cpupower/Makefile
index c8622497ef23..c7bcddbd486d 100644
--- a/tools/power/cpupower/Makefile
+++ b/tools/power/cpupower/Makefile
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ DESTDIR ?=
 # Package-related definitions. Distributions can modify the version
 # and _should_ modify the PACKAGE_BUGREPORT definition
 
-VERSION=			$(shell ./utils/version-gen.sh)
+VERSION:=			$(shell ./utils/version-gen.sh)
 LIB_MAJ=			0.0.1
 LIB_MIN=			0