diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7952cf113b86916f0fd8580f1c08a7bde80e0c1a..9244c3f4c4eedf07f3088348b17da7cabcdce106 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ config: Kconfig
 	${QUIET}kconfig-qconf Kconfig
 
 randconfig: Kconfig
-	${QUIET}kconfig-conf --randconfig Kconfig
+	${QUIET}script/randconfig
 
 clean: arch_clean
 	rm -f build/system.elf
diff --git a/script/randconfig b/script/randconfig
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..21b6840a446a69c2c7f0d3eb4c36026cabd1e286
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/randconfig
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# randconfig occasionally generates invalid configs which lack an application.
+# Try generating a valid config up to ten times.
+
+for i in $(seq 1 10); do
+	kconfig-conf --randconfig Kconfig
+	if grep -F -q CONFIG_app= .config; then
+		exit 0
+	fi
+done
+
+exit 1