diff --git a/etc/defaults/make.conf b/etc/defaults/make.conf
index 15b2fdac4550..055a41018c36 100644
--- a/etc/defaults/make.conf
+++ b/etc/defaults/make.conf
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #NO_BIND=	true	# do not build BIND
 #NO_FORTRAN=	true	# do not build g77 and related libraries
 #NO_MAILWRAPPER=true	# do not build the mailwrapper(8) MTA selector
+#NO_MODULES=	true	# do not build modules with the kernel
 #NO_OBJC=	true	# do not build Objective C support
 #NO_OPENSSH=	true	# do not build OpenSSH
 #NO_OPENSSL=	true	# do not build OpenSSL (implies NO_OPENSSH)
diff --git a/share/examples/etc/make.conf b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
index 15b2fdac4550..055a41018c36 100644
--- a/share/examples/etc/make.conf
+++ b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #NO_BIND=	true	# do not build BIND
 #NO_FORTRAN=	true	# do not build g77 and related libraries
 #NO_MAILWRAPPER=true	# do not build the mailwrapper(8) MTA selector
+#NO_MODULES=	true	# do not build modules with the kernel
 #NO_OBJC=	true	# do not build Objective C support
 #NO_OPENSSH=	true	# do not build OpenSSH
 #NO_OPENSSL=	true	# do not build OpenSSL (implies NO_OPENSSH)
diff --git a/sys/Makefile b/sys/Makefile
index fd1087515074..14331b3bbfa6 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile
+++ b/sys/Makefile
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 # The boot loader
 SUBDIR=	boot
 
-# KLD modules build for both a.out and ELF
-SUBDIR+=modules
-
 HTAGSFLAGS+= -at `awk -F= '/^RELEASE *=/{release=$2}; END {print "FreeBSD", release, "kernel"}' < conf/newvers.sh`
 
 .include <bsd.subdir.mk>
diff --git a/sys/conf/Makefile.alpha b/sys/conf/Makefile.alpha
index f4e0f79b868c..4c9bdb02a625 100644
--- a/sys/conf/Makefile.alpha
+++ b/sys/conf/Makefile.alpha
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ ${FULLKERNEL}: ${SYSTEM_DEP} vers.o
 	@echo linking ${.TARGET}
 	${SYSTEM_LD}
 	${SYSTEM_LD_TAIL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} all
+.endif
 
 .if !exists(.depend)
 ${SYSTEM_OBJS}: vnode_if.h ${BEFORE_DEPEND:M*.h} ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.h/}
@@ -136,6 +139,9 @@ clean:
 	      vers.c vnode_if.c vnode_if.h \
 	      ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.c/} ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.h/} \
 	      ${CLEAN}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} clean
+.endif
 
 #lint: /tmp param.c
 #	@lint -hbxn -DGENERIC -Dvolatile= ${COPTS} \
@@ -230,9 +236,15 @@ depend: assym.s param.c vnode_if.h ${BEFORE_DEPEND} \
 	    mkdep -a -f .newdep ${ASM_CFLAGS} ${SFILES} ${SYSTEM_SFILES}
 	rm -f .depend
 	mv -f .newdep .depend
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} depend
+.endif
 
 cleandepend:
 	rm -f .depend
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} cleandepend
+.endif
 
 links:
 	egrep '#if' ${CFILES} | sed -f $S/conf/defines | \
@@ -259,10 +271,16 @@ install install.debug:
 .endif
 	install -c -m 555 -o root -g wheel -fschg \
 		${KERNEL}${.TARGET:S/install//} ${DESTDIR}/${KERNEL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} install
+.endif
 
 reinstall reinstall.debug:
 	install -c -m 555 -o root -g wheel -fschg \
 		${KERNEL}${.TARGET:S/reinstall//} ${DESTDIR}/${KERNEL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} install
+.endif
 
 config.o:
 	${NORMAL_C}
diff --git a/sys/conf/Makefile.i386 b/sys/conf/Makefile.i386
index 089e4b8e1688..b3c4b5f77244 100644
--- a/sys/conf/Makefile.i386
+++ b/sys/conf/Makefile.i386
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ ${FULLKERNEL}: ${SYSTEM_DEP} vers.o
 	@echo linking ${.TARGET}
 	${SYSTEM_LD}
 	${SYSTEM_LD_TAIL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} all
+.endif
 
 .if !exists(.depend)
 ${SYSTEM_OBJS}: vnode_if.h ${BEFORE_DEPEND:M*.h} ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.h/}
@@ -135,6 +138,9 @@ clean:
 	      vers.c vnode_if.c vnode_if.h \
 	      ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.c/} ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.h/} \
 	      ${CLEAN}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} clean
+.endif
 
 #lint: /tmp param.c
 #	@lint -hbxn -DGENERIC -Dvolatile= ${COPTS} \
@@ -184,9 +190,15 @@ depend: assym.s param.c vnode_if.h ${BEFORE_DEPEND} \
 	    mkdep -a -f .newdep ${ASM_CFLAGS} ${SFILES} ${SYSTEM_SFILES}
 	rm -f .depend
 	mv -f .newdep .depend
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} depend
+.endif
 
 cleandepend:
 	rm -f .depend
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} cleandepend
+.endif
 
 links:
 	egrep '#if' ${CFILES} | sed -f $S/conf/defines | \
@@ -213,10 +225,16 @@ install install.debug:
 .endif
 	install -c -m 555 -o root -g wheel -fschg \
 		${KERNEL}${.TARGET:S/install//} ${DESTDIR}/${KERNEL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} install
+.endif
 
 reinstall reinstall.debug:
 	install -c -m 555 -o root -g wheel -fschg \
 		${KERNEL}${.TARGET:S/reinstall//} ${DESTDIR}/${KERNEL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} install
+.endif
 
 config.o:
 	${NORMAL_C}
diff --git a/sys/conf/Makefile.powerpc b/sys/conf/Makefile.powerpc
index 089e4b8e1688..b3c4b5f77244 100644
--- a/sys/conf/Makefile.powerpc
+++ b/sys/conf/Makefile.powerpc
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ ${FULLKERNEL}: ${SYSTEM_DEP} vers.o
 	@echo linking ${.TARGET}
 	${SYSTEM_LD}
 	${SYSTEM_LD_TAIL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} all
+.endif
 
 .if !exists(.depend)
 ${SYSTEM_OBJS}: vnode_if.h ${BEFORE_DEPEND:M*.h} ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.h/}
@@ -135,6 +138,9 @@ clean:
 	      vers.c vnode_if.c vnode_if.h \
 	      ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.c/} ${MFILES:T:S/.m$/.h/} \
 	      ${CLEAN}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} clean
+.endif
 
 #lint: /tmp param.c
 #	@lint -hbxn -DGENERIC -Dvolatile= ${COPTS} \
@@ -184,9 +190,15 @@ depend: assym.s param.c vnode_if.h ${BEFORE_DEPEND} \
 	    mkdep -a -f .newdep ${ASM_CFLAGS} ${SFILES} ${SYSTEM_SFILES}
 	rm -f .depend
 	mv -f .newdep .depend
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} depend
+.endif
 
 cleandepend:
 	rm -f .depend
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} cleandepend
+.endif
 
 links:
 	egrep '#if' ${CFILES} | sed -f $S/conf/defines | \
@@ -213,10 +225,16 @@ install install.debug:
 .endif
 	install -c -m 555 -o root -g wheel -fschg \
 		${KERNEL}${.TARGET:S/install//} ${DESTDIR}/${KERNEL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} install
+.endif
 
 reinstall reinstall.debug:
 	install -c -m 555 -o root -g wheel -fschg \
 		${KERNEL}${.TARGET:S/reinstall//} ${DESTDIR}/${KERNEL}
+.if !defined(NO_MODULES) && exists(${.CURDIR}/../../modules)
+	cd ${.CURDIR}/../../modules && ${MAKE} install
+.endif
 
 config.o:
 	${NORMAL_C}