diff --git a/Kconfig b/Kconfig
index 6a83c31845..b780766b76 100644
--- a/Kconfig
+++ b/Kconfig
@@ -1824,7 +1824,7 @@ endmenu
 # Support optionally including external code
 # into the OS build. EXTERNALDIR will be used
 # to either point to 'nuttx/external' or
-# 'nuttx/.external-dummy', if 'nuttx/external'
+# 'nuttx/dummy', if 'nuttx/external'
 # does not contain a Kconfig file
 
 config EXTERNALDIR
diff --git a/.external-dummy/Kconfig b/dummy/Kconfig
similarity index 100%
rename from .external-dummy/Kconfig
rename to dummy/Kconfig
diff --git a/.external-dummy/README.md b/dummy/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from .external-dummy/README.md
rename to dummy/README.md
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.unix b/tools/Makefile.unix
index 1671938e23..d7b94dbd8e 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.unix
+++ b/tools/Makefile.unix
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ APPDIR := $(realpath ${shell if [ -r $(CONFIG_APPS_DIR)/Makefile ]; then echo "$
 # so that main Kconfig can find it. Otherwise, we redirect it to a dummy Kconfig
 # This is due to kconfig inability to do conditional inclusion.
 
-EXTERNALDIR := $(shell if [ -r $(TOPDIR)/external/Kconfig ]; then echo 'external'; else echo '.external-dummy'; fi)
+EXTERNALDIR := $(shell if [ -r $(TOPDIR)/external/Kconfig ]; then echo 'external'; else echo 'dummy'; fi)
 
 # CONTEXTDIRS include directories that have special, one-time pre-build
 #   requirements.  Normally this includes things like auto-generation of
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.win b/tools/Makefile.win
index 31ad63df8e..6b95f2a536 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.win
+++ b/tools/Makefile.win
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ APPDIR := $(realpath ${shell if exist "$(CONFIG_APPS_DIR)\Makefile" echo $(CONFI
 # so that main Kconfig can find it. Otherwise, we redirect it to a dummy Kconfig
 # This is due to kconfig inability to do conditional inclusion.
 
-EXTERNALDIR := $(shell if [ -r $(TOPDIR)\external\Kconfig ]; then echo 'external'; else echo '.external-dummy'; fi)
+EXTERNALDIR := $(shell if [ -r $(TOPDIR)\external\Kconfig ]; then echo 'external'; else echo 'dummy'; fi)
 
 # CONTEXTDIRS include directories that have special, one-time pre-build
 #   requirements.  Normally this includes things like auto-generation of