diff --git a/meta/classes-recipe/kernel.bbclass b/meta/classes-recipe/kernel.bbclass
index 759f72d571..3abd689794 100644
--- a/meta/classes-recipe/kernel.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-recipe/kernel.bbclass
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ kernel_do_install() {
 	install -m 0644 System.map ${D}/${KERNEL_IMAGEDEST}/System.map-${KERNEL_VERSION}
 	install -m 0644 .config ${D}/${KERNEL_IMAGEDEST}/config-${KERNEL_VERSION}
 	install -m 0644 vmlinux ${D}/${KERNEL_IMAGEDEST}/vmlinux-${KERNEL_VERSION}
-	[ -e Module.symvers ] && install -m 0644 Module.symvers ${D}/${KERNEL_IMAGEDEST}/Module.symvers-${KERNEL_VERSION}
+	! [ -e Module.symvers ] || install -m 0644 Module.symvers ${D}/${KERNEL_IMAGEDEST}/Module.symvers-${KERNEL_VERSION}
 }
 
 # Must be ran no earlier than after do_kernel_checkout or else Makefile won't be in ${S}/Makefile
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ do_shared_workdir () {
 
 	# Copy files required for module builds
 	cp System.map $kerneldir/System.map-${KERNEL_VERSION}
-	[ -e Module.symvers ] && cp Module.symvers $kerneldir/
+	! [ -e Module.symvers ] || cp Module.symvers $kerneldir/
 	cp .config $kerneldir/
 	mkdir -p $kerneldir/include/config
 	cp include/config/kernel.release $kerneldir/include/config/kernel.release