diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/expr.h b/scripts/kconfig/expr.h
index 891cd9ce9ba2..75a31e4552f3 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/expr.h
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/expr.h
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ struct symbol {
 	tristate visible;
 	int flags;
 	struct property *prop;
+	struct expr_value dir_dep;
 	struct expr_value rev_dep;
 };
 
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ struct menu {
 	struct symbol *sym;
 	struct property *prompt;
 	struct expr *dep;
+	struct expr *dir_dep;
 	unsigned int flags;
 	char *help;
 	struct file *file;
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/menu.c b/scripts/kconfig/menu.c
index eef17bacb6bc..11799894f3bd 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/menu.c
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/menu.c
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ static struct expr *menu_check_dep(struct expr *e)
 void menu_add_dep(struct expr *dep)
 {
 	current_entry->dep = expr_alloc_and(current_entry->dep, menu_check_dep(dep));
+	current_entry->dir_dep = current_entry->dep;
 }
 
 void menu_set_type(int type)
@@ -288,6 +289,10 @@ void menu_finalize(struct menu *parent)
 		for (menu = parent->list; menu; menu = menu->next)
 			menu_finalize(menu);
 	} else if (sym) {
+		/* ignore inherited dependencies for dir_dep */
+		sym->dir_dep.expr = expr_transform(expr_copy(parent->dir_dep));
+		sym->dir_dep.expr = expr_eliminate_dups(sym->dir_dep.expr);
+
 		basedep = parent->prompt ? parent->prompt->visible.expr : NULL;
 		basedep = expr_trans_compare(basedep, E_UNEQUAL, &symbol_no);
 		basedep = expr_eliminate_dups(expr_transform(basedep));
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/symbol.c b/scripts/kconfig/symbol.c
index 2e7a048e0cfc..174b230a52b0 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/symbol.c
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/symbol.c
@@ -205,6 +205,16 @@ static void sym_calc_visibility(struct symbol *sym)
 	}
 	if (sym_is_choice_value(sym))
 		return;
+	/* defaulting to "yes" if no explicit "depends on" are given */
+	tri = yes;
+	if (sym->dir_dep.expr)
+		tri = expr_calc_value(sym->dir_dep.expr);
+	if (tri == mod)
+		tri = yes;
+	if (sym->dir_dep.tri != tri) {
+		sym->dir_dep.tri = tri;
+		sym_set_changed(sym);
+	}
 	tri = no;
 	if (sym->rev_dep.expr)
 		tri = expr_calc_value(sym->rev_dep.expr);
@@ -321,6 +331,14 @@ void sym_calc_value(struct symbol *sym)
 				}
 			}
 		calc_newval:
+			if (sym->dir_dep.tri == no && sym->rev_dep.tri != no) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "warning: (");
+				expr_fprint(sym->rev_dep.expr, stderr);
+				fprintf(stderr, ") selects %s which has unmet direct dependencies (",
+					sym->name);
+				expr_fprint(sym->dir_dep.expr, stderr);
+				fprintf(stderr, ")\n");
+			}
 			newval.tri = EXPR_OR(newval.tri, sym->rev_dep.tri);
 		}
 		if (newval.tri == mod && sym_get_type(sym) == S_BOOLEAN)