diff --git a/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild b/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
index 7876635cc..1d569bab3 100644
--- a/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
+++ b/components/bootloader/Makefile.projbuild
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ BOOTLOADER_MAKE= +\
 	V=$(V) \
 	BUILD_DIR_BASE=$(BOOTLOADER_BUILD_DIR) \
 	TEST_COMPONENTS= \
-	TESTS_ALL=
+	TESTS_ALL= \
+	EXCLUDE_COMPONENTS=
 
 .PHONY: bootloader-clean bootloader-flash bootloader-list-components bootloader $(BOOTLOADER_BIN)
 
diff --git a/make/project.mk b/make/project.mk
index 01b29bcb3..636e46fc3 100644
--- a/make/project.mk
+++ b/make/project.mk
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ COMPONENTS := $(sort $(foreach comp,$(COMPONENTS),$(lastword $(subst /, ,$(comp)
 endif
 # After a full manifest of component names is determined, subtract the ones explicitly omitted by the project Makefile.
 ifdef EXCLUDE_COMPONENTS
-COMPONENTS := $(filter-out $(EXCLUDE_COMPONENTS), $(COMPONENTS))
+COMPONENTS := $(filter-out $(subst ",,$(EXCLUDE_COMPONENTS)), $(COMPONENTS)) 
+# to keep syntax highlighters happy: "))
 endif
 export COMPONENTS