diff --git a/mk/rte.extvars.mk b/mk/internal/rte.extvars.mk
similarity index 99%
rename from mk/rte.extvars.mk
rename to mk/internal/rte.extvars.mk
index 3e5a99012d..e248d19aed 100644
--- a/mk/rte.extvars.mk
+++ b/mk/internal/rte.extvars.mk
@@ -77,5 +77,3 @@ RTE_ARCH := $(CONFIG_RTE_ARCH:"%"=%)
 RTE_MACHINE := $(CONFIG_RTE_MACHINE:"%"=%)
 RTE_EXEC_ENV := $(CONFIG_RTE_EXEC_ENV:"%"=%)
 RTE_TOOLCHAIN := $(CONFIG_RTE_TOOLCHAIN:"%"=%)
-
-
diff --git a/mk/rte.vars.mk b/mk/rte.vars.mk
index d5b36bedd9..d2f01b6499 100644
--- a/mk/rte.vars.mk
+++ b/mk/rte.vars.mk
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ $(error RTE_TARGET is not defined)
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BUILDING_RTE_SDK),)
-# if we are building an external app/lib, include rte.extvars.mk that will
+# if we are building an external app/lib, include internal/rte.extvars.mk that will
 # define RTE_OUTPUT, RTE_SRCDIR, RTE_EXTMK, RTE_SDK_BIN, (etc ...)
-include $(RTE_SDK)/mk/rte.extvars.mk
+include $(RTE_SDK)/mk/internal/rte.extvars.mk
 endif
 
 CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_E1000_PMD = $(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_IGB_PMD)