diff --git a/sys/conf/kern.opts.mk b/sys/conf/kern.opts.mk
index 077009baebf0..b47b71cdce22 100644
--- a/sys/conf/kern.opts.mk
+++ b/sys/conf/kern.opts.mk
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ __DEFAULT_YES_OPTIONS = \
     IPFILTER \
     IPSEC_SUPPORT \
     ISCSI \
+    SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG \
     KERNEL_SYMBOLS \
     NETGRAPH \
     OFED \
@@ -178,6 +179,10 @@ MK_${var}_SUPPORT:= yes
 .endif
 .endfor
 
+.if ${MK_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG} == "no"
+MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS:=	no
+.endif
+
 # Some modules only compile successfully if option FDT is set, due to #ifdef FDT
 # wrapped around declarations.  Module makefiles can optionally compile such
 # things using .if !empty(OPT_FDT)
diff --git a/sys/conf/kmod.mk b/sys/conf/kmod.mk
index 2ab8fb576472..63041480eca9 100644
--- a/sys/conf/kmod.mk
+++ b/sys/conf/kmod.mk
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ OBJS+=	${SRCS:N*.h:R:S/$/.o/g}
 PROG=	${KMOD}.ko
 .endif
 
-.if !defined(DEBUG_FLAGS) || ${MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS} == "no"
+.if !defined(DEBUG_FLAGS) || ${MK_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG} == "no"
 FULLPROG=	${PROG}
 .else
 FULLPROG=	${PROG}.full
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ ${_ILINKS}:
 
 CLEANFILES+= ${PROG} ${KMOD}.kld ${OBJS}
 
-.if defined(DEBUG_FLAGS) && ${MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS} != "no"
+.if defined(DEBUG_FLAGS) && ${MK_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG} != "no"
 CLEANFILES+= ${FULLPROG} ${PROG}.debug
 .endif
 
diff --git a/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_KERNEL_SYMBOLS b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_KERNEL_SYMBOLS
index 7837744cf399..c56359d9fa6b 100644
--- a/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_KERNEL_SYMBOLS
+++ b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_KERNEL_SYMBOLS
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 .\" $FreeBSD$
-Do not build or install standalone kernel debug symbol files.
-Debug data (if enabled by the kernel configuration file)
-will be included in the kernel and modules.
+Do not install standalone kernel debug symbol files.
+This option has no effect at build time.
diff --git a/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a23bcd5ffdb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Do not build standalone kernel debug files.
+Debug data (if enabled by the kernel configuration file)
+will be included in the kernel and modules.