diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d4b6af8c09e9c1a9d85470c2b021dd57649b7e26..b74503aec68ccde8a24f739b12b01fa8e346b81b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1481,7 +1481,10 @@ dtbs_prepare: include/config/kernel.release scripts_dtc
 
 ifneq ($(filter dtbs_check, $(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
 export CHECK_DTBS=y
-dtbs: dt_binding_check
+endif
+
+ifneq ($(CHECK_DTBS),)
+dtbs_prepare: dt_binding_check
 endif
 
 dtbs_check: dtbs
@@ -1779,6 +1782,10 @@ help:
 	@echo  '		3: more obscure warnings, can most likely be ignored'
 	@echo  '		e: warnings are being treated as errors'
 	@echo  '		Multiple levels can be combined with W=12 or W=123'
+	@$(if $(dtstree), \
+		echo '  make CHECK_DTBS=1 [targets] Check all generated dtb files against schema'; \
+		echo '         This can be applied both to "dtbs" and to individual "foo.dtb" targets' ; \
+		)
 	@echo  ''
 	@echo  'Execute "make" or "make all" to build all targets marked with [*] '
 	@echo  'For further info see the ./README file'