diff --git a/apps/examples/Makefile b/apps/examples/Makefile
index 943133e6..6010a28d 100644
--- a/apps/examples/Makefile
+++ b/apps/examples/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ COREPATH ?= ../../core
 
 include $(COREPATH)/../Makefile.defs
 
-exclude_modules = 
+exclude_modules ?= 
 modules = $(filter-out $(exclude_modules) \
 		$(wildcard Makefile*) $(wildcard Readme*) CVS, \
 		$(wildcard *) )
diff --git a/apps/examples/tutorial/Makefile b/apps/examples/tutorial/Makefile
index 009b9c29..563d4448 100644
--- a/apps/examples/tutorial/Makefile
+++ b/apps/examples/tutorial/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ COREPATH ?= ../../../core
 
 include $(COREPATH)/../Makefile.defs
 
-exclude_modules = 
+exclude_modules ?= 
 modules = $(filter-out $(exclude_modules) \
 		$(wildcard Makefile*) $(wildcard Readme*) CVS, \
 		$(wildcard *) )