diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modpost b/scripts/Makefile.modpost
index cc19b95c2116..13842693c143 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modpost
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modpost
@@ -67,7 +67,11 @@ __modpost:
 
 else
 
-ifneq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
+MODPOST += $(subst -i,-n,$(filter -i,$(MAKEFLAGS))) -s -T -
+
+ifeq ($(KBUILD_EXTMOD),)
+MODPOST += $(wildcard vmlinux)
+else
 
 # set src + obj - they may be used in the modules's Makefile
 obj := $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)
@@ -78,8 +82,6 @@ include $(if $(wildcard $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/Kbuild), \
              $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/Kbuild, $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/Makefile)
 endif
 
-MODPOST += $(subst -i,-n,$(filter -i,$(MAKEFLAGS))) -s -T - $(wildcard vmlinux)
-
 # find all modules listed in modules.order
 modules := $(sort $(shell cat $(MODORDER)))