diff --git a/examples/mini/Makefile b/examples/mini/Makefile
index b3dd4d27..c9131015 100644
--- a/examples/mini/Makefile
+++ b/examples/mini/Makefile
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ else
 ifneq ($(wildcard kernel.conf),)
 include kernel.conf
 else
-KERNEL_DIR := /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build
+KERNEL_DIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build
 endif
 
 CURRENT_DIR := $(shell pwd)
diff --git a/examples/mini/kernel.conf.tmpl b/examples/mini/kernel.conf.tmpl
index 597ab921..9a0ac049 100644
--- a/examples/mini/kernel.conf.tmpl
+++ b/examples/mini/kernel.conf.tmpl
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-KERNELDIR = /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build
+KERNELDIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build
diff --git a/examples/msr/kernel.conf.tmpl b/examples/msr/kernel.conf.tmpl
index cd72d5ee..31164da2 100644
--- a/examples/msr/kernel.conf.tmpl
+++ b/examples/msr/kernel.conf.tmpl
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # Kernel sources for module compilation
-KERNEL := `uname -r`
+KERNEL := $(shell uname -r)
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/examples/rtai/Makefile b/examples/rtai/Makefile
index 8e96bc0d..66b5ff82 100644
--- a/examples/rtai/Makefile
+++ b/examples/rtai/Makefile
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ else
 ifneq ($(wildcard kernel.conf),)
 include kernel.conf
 else
-KERNEL_DIR := /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build
+KERNEL_DIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build
 endif
 
 CURRENT_DIR := $(shell pwd)
diff --git a/examples/rtai/kernel.conf.tmpl b/examples/rtai/kernel.conf.tmpl
index c03240be..c5c2cc2f 100644
--- a/examples/rtai/kernel.conf.tmpl
+++ b/examples/rtai/kernel.conf.tmpl
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-KERNELDIR = /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build
+KERNELDIR := /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build