diff --git a/makefiles/libc/newlib.mk b/makefiles/libc/newlib.mk
index 73ff4c238f..f27ee31407 100644
--- a/makefiles/libc/newlib.mk
+++ b/makefiles/libc/newlib.mk
@@ -94,11 +94,9 @@ ifeq (1,$(USE_NEWLIB_NANO))
                                                     $(NEWLIB_INCLUDE_DIR)/newlib/nano \
                                                     $(NEWLIB_INCLUDE_DIR)/nano))
 
-  ifeq (,$(NEWLIB_NANO_INCLUDE_DIR))
-    $(error USE_NEWLIB_NANO==1 but nano include folder not found!)
+  ifneq (,$(NEWLIB_NANO_INCLUDE_DIR))
+     # newlib-nano overrides newlib.h and its include dir should therefore go before
+     # the regular system include dirs.
+     INCLUDES := -isystem $(NEWLIB_NANO_INCLUDE_DIR) $(INCLUDES)
   endif
-
-  # newlib-nano overrides newlib.h and its include dir should therefore go before
-  # the regular system include dirs.
-  INCLUDES := -isystem $(NEWLIB_NANO_INCLUDE_DIR) $(INCLUDES)
 endif