diff --git a/sys/modules/Makefile b/sys/modules/Makefile
index f65e7c6d15b2..3af154c750b3 100644
--- a/sys/modules/Makefile
+++ b/sys/modules/Makefile
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ SUBDIR=	${_3dfx} \
 	twe \
 	tx \
 	txp \
-	${_uart} \
+	uart \
 	ubsec \
 	udf \
 	udf_iconv \
@@ -323,8 +323,6 @@ _vpo=		vpo
 # no BUS_SPACE_UNSPECIFIED
 # No barrier instruction support (specific to this driver)
 _sym=		sym
-# no uart_cpu_$MACHINE_ARCH
-_uart=		uart
 # intr_disable() is a macro, causes problems
 _cxgb=		cxgb
 .endif
diff --git a/sys/modules/uart/Makefile b/sys/modules/uart/Makefile
index d47e2abed529..06b3c9bd01dd 100644
--- a/sys/modules/uart/Makefile
+++ b/sys/modules/uart/Makefile
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ SRCS=	uart_bus_acpi.c ${uart_bus_ebus} uart_bus_isa.c uart_bus_pccard.c \
 	uart_if.c uart_if.h uart_subr.c uart_tty.c
 .if ${MACHINE} == "sun4v"
 SRCS+=	uart_cpu_sparc64.c
-.else
+.elif exists(${CURDIR}/uart_cpu_${MACHINE}.c)
 SRCS+=	uart_cpu_${MACHINE}.c
 .endif
 SRCS+=	bus_if.h card_if.h device_if.h isa_if.h ${ofw_bus_if} pci_if.h \