diff --git a/sys/conf/kern.opts.mk b/sys/conf/kern.opts.mk
--- a/sys/conf/kern.opts.mk
+++ b/sys/conf/kern.opts.mk
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     IPFILTER \
     IPSEC_SUPPORT \
     ISCSI \
+    SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG \
     KERNEL_SYMBOLS \
     NETGRAPH \
     OFED \
@@ -178,6 +179,10 @@
 .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
--- a/sys/conf/kmod.mk
+++ b/sys/conf/kmod.mk
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@
 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 @@
 
 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
--- 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_KERNEL_SYMBOLS b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG
copy from tools/build/options/WITHOUT_KERNEL_SYMBOLS
copy to tools/build/options/WITHOUT_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG
--- a/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_KERNEL_SYMBOLS
+++ b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-.\" $FreeBSD$
-Do not build or install standalone kernel debug symbol files.
+Do not build standalone kernel debug files.
 Debug data (if enabled by the kernel configuration file)
 will be included in the kernel and modules.