diff --git a/kernel.spec b/kernel.spec
index cd5ac226a..8be8a4bab 100644
--- a/kernel.spec
+++ b/kernel.spec
@@ -1664,6 +1664,9 @@ BuildKernel() {
     cp vmlinux $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{debuginfodir}/lib/modules/$KernelVer
 %endif
 
+    # remove files that will be auto generated by depmod at rpm -i time
+    find $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/lib/modules/$KernelVer/modules.* -exec rm -f {} \;
+
     find $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/lib/modules/$KernelVer -name "*.ko" -type f >modnames
 
     # mark modules executable so that strip-to-file can strip them
@@ -1702,9 +1705,6 @@ BuildKernel() {
     cp signing_key.x509 signing_key.x509.sign${Flav}
 %endif
 
-    # remove files that will be auto generated by depmod at rpm -i time
-    find $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/lib/modules/$KernelVer/modules.* -exec rm -f {} \;
-
     # Move the devel headers out of the root file system
     mkdir -p $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/usr/src/kernels
     mv $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/lib/modules/$KernelVer/build $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/$DevelDir
@@ -2215,7 +2215,7 @@ fi
 * Tue May 21 2013 Kyle McMartin <kyle@redhat.com>
 - Rewrite the modinfo license check to generate significantly less noise in
   build logs.
-- Ditto for the modules.* removal.
+- Ditto for the modules.* removal (and move it earlier, as pointed out by jwb)
 
 * Tue May 21 2013 Peter Robinson <pbrobinson@fedoraproject.org>
 - Enable OMAP5 on ARM multiplatform