diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modpost b/scripts/Makefile.modpost
index 8dcdca27d836..69f0a1417e9a 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modpost
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modpost
@@ -79,9 +79,11 @@ modpost = scripts/mod/modpost                    \
  $(if $(CONFIG_DEBUG_SECTION_MISMATCH),,-S)      \
  $(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)$(KBUILD_MODPOST_WARN),-w)
 
+MODPOST_OPT=$(subst -i,-n,$(filter -i,$(MAKEFLAGS)))
+
 # We can go over command line length here, so be careful.
 quiet_cmd_modpost = MODPOST $(words $(filter-out vmlinux FORCE, $^)) modules
-      cmd_modpost = $(MODLISTCMD) | sed 's/\.ko$$/.o/' | $(modpost) -s -T -
+      cmd_modpost = $(MODLISTCMD) | sed 's/\.ko$$/.o/' | $(modpost) $(MODPOST_OPT) -s -T -
 
 PHONY += __modpost
 __modpost: $(modules:.ko=.o) FORCE
diff --git a/scripts/mod/modpost.c b/scripts/mod/modpost.c
index 8247979e8f64..393706b37774 100644
--- a/scripts/mod/modpost.c
+++ b/scripts/mod/modpost.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include "modpost.h"
 #include "../../include/generated/autoconf.h"
 #include "../../include/linux/license.h"
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ static int warn_unresolved = 0;
 /* How a symbol is exported */
 static int sec_mismatch_count = 0;
 static int sec_mismatch_verbose = 1;
+/* ignore missing files */
+static int ignore_missing_files;
 
 enum export {
 	export_plain,      export_unused,     export_gpl,
@@ -407,6 +410,11 @@ static int parse_elf(struct elf_info *info, const char *filename)
 
 	hdr = grab_file(filename, &info->size);
 	if (!hdr) {
+		if (ignore_missing_files) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (ignored)\n", filename,
+				strerror(errno));
+			return 0;
+		}
 		perror(filename);
 		exit(1);
 	}
@@ -2119,7 +2127,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct ext_sym_list *extsym_iter;
 	struct ext_sym_list *extsym_start = NULL;
 
-	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "i:I:e:msST:o:awM:K:")) != -1) {
+	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "i:I:e:mnsST:o:awM:K:")) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 'i':
 			kernel_read = optarg;
@@ -2139,6 +2147,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		case 'm':
 			modversions = 1;
 			break;
+		case 'n':
+			ignore_missing_files = 1;
+			break;
 		case 'o':
 			dump_write = optarg;
 			break;