diff --git a/build.config.gki.aarch64.16k b/build.config.gki.aarch64.16k
index feda2c7b20fc..20be95d54647 100644
--- a/build.config.gki.aarch64.16k
+++ b/build.config.gki.aarch64.16k
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 . ${ROOT_DIR}/${KERNEL_DIR}/build.config.gki.aarch64
 
 DEFCONFIG=16k_gki_defconfig
-PRE_DEFCONFIG_CMDS="cat ${ROOT_DIR}/${KERNEL_DIR}/arch/arm64/configs/gki_defconfig ${ROOT_DIR}/${KERNEL_DIR}/arch/arm64/configs/16k_gki.fragment > ${ROOT_DIR}/${KERNEL_DIR}/arch/arm64/configs/${DEFCONFIG};"
-POST_DEFCONFIG_CMDS="rm ${ROOT_DIR}/${KERNEL_DIR}/arch/arm64/configs/${DEFCONFIG}"
+PRE_DEFCONFIG_CMDS="mkdir -p \${OUT_DIR}/arch/arm64/configs/ && cat ${ROOT_DIR}/${KERNEL_DIR}/arch/arm64/configs/gki_defconfig ${ROOT_DIR}/${KERNEL_DIR}/arch/arm64/configs/16k_gki.fragment > \${OUT_DIR}/arch/arm64/configs/${DEFCONFIG};"
+POST_DEFCONFIG_CMDS=""