diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/kbuild.txt b/Documentation/kbuild/kbuild.txt
index 0ff6a466a05b..ac2363ea05c5 100644
--- a/Documentation/kbuild/kbuild.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kbuild/kbuild.txt
@@ -236,5 +236,9 @@ Files specified with KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT are linked first.
 KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN
 --------------------------------------------------
 All object files for the main part of vmlinux.
-KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT and KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN together specify
-all the object files used to link vmlinux.
+
+KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS
+--------------------------------------------------
+All .a "lib" files for vmlinux.
+KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT, KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN, and KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS together
+specify all the object files used to link vmlinux.
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 853ae9179af9..1177775fa410 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -952,19 +952,19 @@ core-y		:= $(patsubst %/, %/built-in.o, $(core-y))
 drivers-y	:= $(patsubst %/, %/built-in.o, $(drivers-y))
 net-y		:= $(patsubst %/, %/built-in.o, $(net-y))
 libs-y1		:= $(patsubst %/, %/lib.a, $(libs-y))
-libs-y2		:= $(patsubst %/, %/built-in.o, $(libs-y))
-libs-y		:= $(libs-y1) $(libs-y2)
+libs-y2		:= $(filter-out %.a, $(patsubst %/, %/built-in.o, $(libs-y)))
 virt-y		:= $(patsubst %/, %/built-in.o, $(virt-y))
 
 # Externally visible symbols (used by link-vmlinux.sh)
 export KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT := $(head-y) $(init-y)
-export KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN := $(core-y) $(libs-y) $(drivers-y) $(net-y) $(virt-y)
+export KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN := $(core-y) $(libs-y2) $(drivers-y) $(net-y) $(virt-y)
+export KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS := $(libs-y1)
 export KBUILD_LDS          := arch/$(SRCARCH)/kernel/vmlinux.lds
 export LDFLAGS_vmlinux
 # used by scripts/pacmage/Makefile
 export KBUILD_ALLDIRS := $(sort $(filter-out arch/%,$(vmlinux-alldirs)) arch Documentation include samples scripts tools)
 
-vmlinux-deps := $(KBUILD_LDS) $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT) $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN)
+vmlinux-deps := $(KBUILD_LDS) $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT) $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN) $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS)
 
 # Include targets which we want to execute sequentially if the rest of the
 # kernel build went well. If CONFIG_TRIM_UNUSED_KSYMS is set, this might be
diff --git a/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh b/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
index 72a0aa627c56..e7b7eee31538 100755
--- a/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
+++ b/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@
 # link vmlinux
 #
 # vmlinux is linked from the objects selected by $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT) and
-# $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN). Most are built-in.o files from top-level directories
-# in the kernel tree, others are specified in arch/$(ARCH)/Makefile.
-# Ordering when linking is important, and $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT) must be first.
+# $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN) and $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS). Most are built-in.o files
+# from top-level directories in the kernel tree, others are specified in
+# arch/$(ARCH)/Makefile. Ordering when linking is important, and
+# $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT) must be first. $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS) are archives
+# which are linked conditionally (not within --whole-archive), and do not
+# require symbol indexes added.
 #
 # vmlinux
 #   ^
@@ -16,6 +19,9 @@
 #   +--< $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN)
 #   |    +--< drivers/built-in.o mm/built-in.o + more
 #   |
+#   +--< $(KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS)
+#   |    +--< lib/lib.a + more
+#   |
 #   +-< ${kallsymso} (see description in KALLSYMS section)
 #
 # vmlinux version (uname -v) cannot be updated during normal
@@ -37,9 +43,10 @@ info()
 	fi
 }
 
-# Thin archive build here makes a final archive with
-# symbol table and indexes from vmlinux objects, which can be
-# used as input to linker.
+# Thin archive build here makes a final archive with symbol table and indexes
+# from vmlinux objects INIT and MAIN, which can be used as input to linker.
+# KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS archives should already have symbol table and indexes
+# added.
 #
 # Traditional incremental style of link does not require this step
 #
@@ -63,11 +70,17 @@ modpost_link()
 	local objects
 
 	if [ -n "${CONFIG_THIN_ARCHIVES}" ]; then
-		objects="--whole-archive built-in.o --no-whole-archive"
+		objects="--whole-archive				\
+			built-in.o					\
+			--no-whole-archive				\
+			--start-group					\
+			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}				\
+			--end-group"
 	else
 		objects="${KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT}				\
 			--start-group					\
 			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN}				\
+			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}				\
 			--end-group"
 	fi
 	${LD} ${LDFLAGS} -r -o ${1} ${objects}
@@ -83,11 +96,18 @@ vmlinux_link()
 
 	if [ "${SRCARCH}" != "um" ]; then
 		if [ -n "${CONFIG_THIN_ARCHIVES}" ]; then
-			objects="--whole-archive built-in.o ${1} --no-whole-archive"
+			objects="--whole-archive			\
+				built-in.o				\
+				--no-whole-archive			\
+				--start-group				\
+				${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}			\
+				--end-group				\
+				${1}"
 		else
 			objects="${KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT}			\
 				--start-group				\
 				${KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN}			\
+				${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}			\
 				--end-group				\
 				${1}"
 		fi
@@ -96,11 +116,18 @@ vmlinux_link()
 			-T ${lds} ${objects}
 	else
 		if [ -n "${CONFIG_THIN_ARCHIVES}" ]; then
-			objects="-Wl,--whole-archive built-in.o ${1} -Wl,--no-whole-archive"
+			objects="-Wl,--whole-archive			\
+				built-in.o				\
+				-Wl,--no-whole-archive			\
+				-Wl,--start-group			\
+				${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}			\
+				-Wl,--end-group				\
+				${1}"
 		else
 			objects="${KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT}			\
 				-Wl,--start-group			\
 				${KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN}			\
+				${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}			\
 				-Wl,--end-group				\
 				${1}"
 		fi