diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 992d24467ca0..476f19ccac17 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -505,7 +505,6 @@ KBUILD_CFLAGS_KERNEL :=
 KBUILD_AFLAGS_MODULE  := -DMODULE
 KBUILD_CFLAGS_MODULE  := -DMODULE
 KBUILD_LDFLAGS_MODULE :=
-export KBUILD_LDS_MODULE := $(srctree)/scripts/module-common.lds
 KBUILD_LDFLAGS :=
 CLANG_FLAGS :=
 
@@ -1384,7 +1383,7 @@ endif
 # using awk while concatenating to the final file.
 
 PHONY += modules
-modules: $(if $(KBUILD_BUILTIN),vmlinux) modules_check
+modules: $(if $(KBUILD_BUILTIN),vmlinux) modules_check modules_prepare
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.modpost
 
 PHONY += modules_check
@@ -1401,6 +1400,7 @@ targets += modules.order
 # Target to prepare building external modules
 PHONY += modules_prepare
 modules_prepare: prepare
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=scripts scripts/module.lds
 
 # Target to install modules
 PHONY += modules_install
@@ -1722,7 +1722,9 @@ help:
 	@echo  '  clean           - remove generated files in module directory only'
 	@echo  ''
 
-PHONY += prepare
+# no-op for external module builds
+PHONY += prepare modules_prepare
+
 endif # KBUILD_EXTMOD
 
 # Single targets
@@ -1755,7 +1757,7 @@ MODORDER := .modules.tmp
 endif
 
 PHONY += single_modpost
-single_modpost: $(single-no-ko)
+single_modpost: $(single-no-ko) modules_prepare
 	$(Q){ $(foreach m, $(single-ko), echo $(extmod-prefix)$m;) } > $(MODORDER)
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.modpost
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/Makefile b/arch/arm/Makefile
index 4e877354515f..a0cb15de9677 100644
--- a/arch/arm/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/Makefile
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ LDFLAGS_vmlinux	+= --be8
 KBUILD_LDFLAGS_MODULE	+= --be8
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_ARM_MODULE_PLTS),y)
-KBUILD_LDS_MODULE	+= $(srctree)/arch/arm/kernel/module.lds
-endif
-
 GZFLAGS		:=-9
 #KBUILD_CFLAGS	+=-pipe
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/module.lds b/arch/arm/include/asm/module.lds.h
similarity index 72%
rename from arch/arm/kernel/module.lds
rename to arch/arm/include/asm/module.lds.h
index 79cb6af565e5..0e7cb4e314b4 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/module.lds
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/module.lds.h
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 */
+#ifdef CONFIG_ARM_MODULE_PLTS
 SECTIONS {
 	.plt : { BYTE(0) }
 	.init.plt : { BYTE(0) }
 }
+#endif
diff --git a/arch/arm64/Makefile b/arch/arm64/Makefile
index 130569f90c54..4e8bb73359c8 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm64/Makefile
@@ -120,10 +120,6 @@ endif
 
 CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__aarch64__
 
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_ARM64_MODULE_PLTS),y)
-KBUILD_LDS_MODULE	+= $(srctree)/arch/arm64/kernel/module.lds
-endif
-
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_DYNAMIC_FTRACE_WITH_REGS),y)
   KBUILD_CPPFLAGS += -DCC_USING_PATCHABLE_FUNCTION_ENTRY
   CC_FLAGS_FTRACE := -fpatchable-function-entry=2
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/module.lds b/arch/arm64/include/asm/module.lds.h
similarity index 76%
rename from arch/arm64/kernel/module.lds
rename to arch/arm64/include/asm/module.lds.h
index 22e36a21c113..691f15af788e 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/module.lds
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/module.lds.h
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+#ifdef CONFIG_ARM64_MODULE_PLTS
 SECTIONS {
 	.plt (NOLOAD) : { BYTE(0) }
 	.init.plt (NOLOAD) : { BYTE(0) }
 	.text.ftrace_trampoline (NOLOAD) : { BYTE(0) }
 }
+#endif
diff --git a/arch/ia64/Makefile b/arch/ia64/Makefile
index 2876a7df1b0a..703b1c4f6d12 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/Makefile
+++ b/arch/ia64/Makefile
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__ia64=1 -D__ia64__=1 -D_LP64 -D__LP64__
 
 OBJCOPYFLAGS	:= --strip-all
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux	:= -static
-KBUILD_LDS_MODULE += $(srctree)/arch/ia64/module.lds
 KBUILD_AFLAGS_KERNEL := -mconstant-gp
 EXTRA		:=
 
diff --git a/arch/ia64/module.lds b/arch/ia64/include/asm/module.lds.h
similarity index 100%
rename from arch/ia64/module.lds
rename to arch/ia64/include/asm/module.lds.h
diff --git a/arch/m68k/Makefile b/arch/m68k/Makefile
index 4438ffb4bbe1..ea14f2046fb4 100644
--- a/arch/m68k/Makefile
+++ b/arch/m68k/Makefile
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ KBUILD_CPPFLAGS += -D__uClinux__
 endif
 
 KBUILD_LDFLAGS := -m m68kelf
-KBUILD_LDS_MODULE += $(srctree)/arch/m68k/kernel/module.lds
 
 ifdef CONFIG_SUN3
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux = -N
diff --git a/arch/m68k/kernel/module.lds b/arch/m68k/include/asm/module.lds.h
similarity index 100%
rename from arch/m68k/kernel/module.lds
rename to arch/m68k/include/asm/module.lds.h
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/Makefile b/arch/powerpc/Makefile
index 3e8da9cf2eb9..8935658fcd06 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/powerpc/Makefile
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ UTS_MACHINE := $(subst $(space),,$(machine-y))
 ifdef CONFIG_PPC32
 KBUILD_LDFLAGS_MODULE += arch/powerpc/lib/crtsavres.o
 else
-KBUILD_LDS_MODULE += $(srctree)/arch/powerpc/kernel/module.lds
 ifeq ($(call ld-ifversion, -ge, 225000000, y),y)
 # Have the linker provide sfpr if possible.
 # There is a corresponding test in arch/powerpc/lib/Makefile
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/module.lds b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/module.lds.h
similarity index 100%
rename from arch/powerpc/kernel/module.lds
rename to arch/powerpc/include/asm/module.lds.h
diff --git a/arch/riscv/Makefile b/arch/riscv/Makefile
index fb6e37db836d..8edaa8bd86d6 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/Makefile
+++ b/arch/riscv/Makefile
@@ -53,9 +53,6 @@ endif
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_CMODEL_MEDANY),y)
 	KBUILD_CFLAGS += -mcmodel=medany
 endif
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_MODULE_SECTIONS),y)
-	KBUILD_LDS_MODULE += $(srctree)/arch/riscv/kernel/module.lds
-endif
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS),y)
         KBUILD_CFLAGS += -fno-omit-frame-pointer
 endif
diff --git a/arch/riscv/kernel/module.lds b/arch/riscv/include/asm/module.lds.h
similarity index 84%
rename from arch/riscv/kernel/module.lds
rename to arch/riscv/include/asm/module.lds.h
index 295ecfb341a2..4254ff2ff049 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/kernel/module.lds
+++ b/arch/riscv/include/asm/module.lds.h
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 */
 /* Copyright (C) 2017 Andes Technology Corporation */
-
+#ifdef CONFIG_MODULE_SECTIONS
 SECTIONS {
 	.plt (NOLOAD) : { BYTE(0) }
 	.got (NOLOAD) : { BYTE(0) }
 	.got.plt (NOLOAD) : { BYTE(0) }
 }
+#endif
diff --git a/arch/um/include/asm/Kbuild b/arch/um/include/asm/Kbuild
index 8d435f8a6dec..1c63b260ecc4 100644
--- a/arch/um/include/asm/Kbuild
+++ b/arch/um/include/asm/Kbuild
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ generic-y += kdebug.h
 generic-y += mcs_spinlock.h
 generic-y += mm-arch-hooks.h
 generic-y += mmiowb.h
+generic-y += module.lds.h
 generic-y += param.h
 generic-y += pci.h
 generic-y += percpu.h
diff --git a/include/asm-generic/Kbuild b/include/asm-generic/Kbuild
index 74b0612601dd..7cd4e627e00e 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/Kbuild
+++ b/include/asm-generic/Kbuild
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ mandatory-y += mmiowb.h
 mandatory-y += mmu.h
 mandatory-y += mmu_context.h
 mandatory-y += module.h
+mandatory-y += module.lds.h
 mandatory-y += msi.h
 mandatory-y += pci.h
 mandatory-y += percpu.h
diff --git a/include/asm-generic/module.lds.h b/include/asm-generic/module.lds.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f210d5c1b78b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/asm-generic/module.lds.h
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only */
+#ifndef __ASM_GENERIC_MODULE_LDS_H
+#define __ASM_GENERIC_MODULE_LDS_H
+
+/*
+ * <asm/module.lds.h> can specify arch-specific sections for linking modules.
+ * Empty for the asm-generic header.
+ */
+
+#endif /* __ASM_GENERIC_MODULE_LDS_H */
diff --git a/scripts/.gitignore b/scripts/.gitignore
index 0d1c8e217cd7..a6c11316c969 100644
--- a/scripts/.gitignore
+++ b/scripts/.gitignore
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ asn1_compiler
 extract-cert
 sign-file
 insert-sys-cert
+/module.lds
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile b/scripts/Makefile
index bc018e4b733e..b5418ec587fb 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/Makefile
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ endif
 # The following programs are only built on demand
 hostprogs += unifdef
 
+# The module linker script is preprocessed on demand
+targets += module.lds
+
 subdir-$(CONFIG_GCC_PLUGINS) += gcc-plugins
 subdir-$(CONFIG_MODVERSIONS) += genksyms
 subdir-$(CONFIG_SECURITY_SELINUX) += selinux
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modfinal b/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
index 411c1e600e7d..ae01baf96f4e 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
@@ -33,11 +33,10 @@ quiet_cmd_ld_ko_o = LD [M]  $@
       cmd_ld_ko_o =                                                     \
 	$(LD) -r $(KBUILD_LDFLAGS)					\
 		$(KBUILD_LDFLAGS_MODULE) $(LDFLAGS_MODULE)		\
-		$(addprefix -T , $(KBUILD_LDS_MODULE))			\
-		-o $@ $(filter %.o, $^);				\
+		-T scripts/module.lds -o $@ $(filter %.o, $^);		\
 	$(if $(ARCH_POSTLINK), $(MAKE) -f $(ARCH_POSTLINK) $@, true)
 
-$(modules): %.ko: %.o %.mod.o $(KBUILD_LDS_MODULE) FORCE
+$(modules): %.ko: %.o %.mod.o scripts/module.lds FORCE
 	+$(call if_changed,ld_ko_o)
 
 targets += $(modules) $(modules:.ko=.mod.o)
diff --git a/scripts/module-common.lds b/scripts/module.lds.S
similarity index 93%
rename from scripts/module-common.lds
rename to scripts/module.lds.S
index d61b9e8678e8..69b9b71a6a47 100644
--- a/scripts/module-common.lds
+++ b/scripts/module.lds.S
@@ -24,3 +24,6 @@ SECTIONS {
 
 	__jump_table		0 : ALIGN(8) { KEEP(*(__jump_table)) }
 }
+
+/* bring in arch-specific sections */
+#include <asm/module.lds.h>
diff --git a/scripts/package/builddeb b/scripts/package/builddeb
index 6df3c9f8b2da..44f212e37935 100755
--- a/scripts/package/builddeb
+++ b/scripts/package/builddeb
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ deploy_kernel_headers () {
 		cd $srctree
 		find . arch/$SRCARCH -maxdepth 1 -name Makefile\*
 		find include scripts -type f -o -type l
-		find arch/$SRCARCH -name module.lds -o -name Kbuild.platforms -o -name Platform
+		find arch/$SRCARCH -name Kbuild.platforms -o -name Platform
 		find $(find arch/$SRCARCH -name include -o -name scripts -type d) -type f
 	) > debian/hdrsrcfiles
 
