diff --git a/sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC b/sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC
--- a/sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC
+++ b/sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 options 	INET			# InterNETworking
 options 	INET6			# IPv6 communications protocols
 options 	IPSEC_SUPPORT		# Allow kldload of ipsec and tcpmd5
-options 	NETLINK			# netlink(4) support
 options 	ROUTE_MPATH		# Multipath routing support
 options 	FIB_ALGO		# Modular fib lookups
 options 	TCP_OFFLOAD		# TCP offload
diff --git a/sys/arm/conf/std.armv7 b/sys/arm/conf/std.armv7
--- a/sys/arm/conf/std.armv7
+++ b/sys/arm/conf/std.armv7
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 options 	TCP_HHOOK		# hhook(9) framework for TCP
 device		crypto			# core crypto support
 options 	IPSEC_SUPPORT		# Allow kldload of ipsec and tcpmd5
-options 	NETLINK			# netlink(4) support
 options 	SCTP_SUPPORT		# Allow kldload of SCTP
 options 	FFS			# Berkeley Fast Filesystem
 options 	SOFTUPDATES		# Enable FFS soft updates support
diff --git a/sys/arm64/conf/std.arm64 b/sys/arm64/conf/std.arm64
--- a/sys/arm64/conf/std.arm64
+++ b/sys/arm64/conf/std.arm64
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 options 	INET6			# IPv6 communications protocols
 options 	CC_CUBIC		# include CUBIC congestion control
 options 	IPSEC_SUPPORT		# Allow kldload of ipsec and tcpmd5
-options 	NETLINK			# netlink(4) support
 options 	ROUTE_MPATH		# Multipath routing support
 options 	FIB_ALGO		# Modular fib lookups
 options 	TCP_OFFLOAD		# TCP offload
diff --git a/sys/compat/linux/linux_common.c b/sys/compat/linux/linux_common.c
--- a/sys/compat/linux/linux_common.c
+++ b/sys/compat/linux/linux_common.c
@@ -82,4 +82,3 @@
 
 DECLARE_MODULE(linux_common, linux_common_mod, SI_SUB_EXEC, SI_ORDER_ANY);
 MODULE_VERSION(linux_common, 1);
-MODULE_DEPEND(linux_common, netlink, 1, 1, 1);
diff --git a/sys/conf/NOTES b/sys/conf/NOTES
--- a/sys/conf/NOTES
+++ b/sys/conf/NOTES
@@ -693,9 +693,6 @@
 # TLS framing and encryption/decryption of data over TCP sockets.
 options 	KERN_TLS		# TLS transmit and receive offload
 
-# Netlink kernel/user<>kernel/user messaging interface
-options 	NETLINK
-
 #
 # SMB/CIFS requester
 # NETSMB enables support for SMB protocol, it requires LIBMCHAIN and LIBICONV
diff --git a/sys/conf/files b/sys/conf/files
--- a/sys/conf/files
+++ b/sys/conf/files
@@ -4424,18 +4424,18 @@
 netipsec/xform_tcp.c		optional ipsec inet tcp_signature | \
 	 ipsec inet6 tcp_signature | ipsec_support inet tcp_signature | \
 	 ipsec_support inet6 tcp_signature
-netlink/netlink_domain.c	optional netlink
-netlink/netlink_generic.c	optional netlink
-netlink/netlink_io.c		optional netlink
-netlink/netlink_message_parser.c	optional netlink
-netlink/netlink_message_writer.c	optional netlink
-netlink/netlink_module.c	optional netlink
-netlink/netlink_route.c		optional netlink
-netlink/route/iface_drivers.c	optional netlink
-netlink/route/iface.c		optional netlink
-netlink/route/neigh.c		optional netlink
-netlink/route/nexthop.c		optional netlink
-netlink/route/rt.c		optional netlink
+netlink/netlink_domain.c	standard
+netlink/netlink_generic.c	standard
+netlink/netlink_io.c		standard
+netlink/netlink_message_parser.c	standard
+netlink/netlink_message_writer.c	standard
+netlink/netlink_module.c	standard
+netlink/netlink_route.c		standard
+netlink/route/iface_drivers.c	standard
+netlink/route/iface.c		standard
+netlink/route/neigh.c		standard
+netlink/route/nexthop.c		standard
+netlink/route/rt.c		standard
 netpfil/ipfw/dn_aqm_codel.c	optional inet dummynet
 netpfil/ipfw/dn_aqm_pie.c	optional inet dummynet
 netpfil/ipfw/dn_heap.c		optional inet dummynet
diff --git a/sys/conf/options b/sys/conf/options
--- a/sys/conf/options
+++ b/sys/conf/options
@@ -462,7 +462,6 @@
 MBUF_STRESS_TEST
 MROUTING		opt_mrouting.h
 NFSLOCKD
-NETLINK
 PF_DEFAULT_TO_DROP	opt_pf.h
 ROUTE_MPATH		opt_route.h
 ROUTETABLES		opt_route.h
diff --git a/sys/i386/conf/GENERIC b/sys/i386/conf/GENERIC
--- a/sys/i386/conf/GENERIC
+++ b/sys/i386/conf/GENERIC
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 options 	INET			# InterNETworking
 options 	INET6			# IPv6 communications protocols
 options 	IPSEC_SUPPORT		# Allow kldload of ipsec and tcpmd5
-options 	NETLINK			# netlink(4) support
 options 	ROUTE_MPATH		# Multipath routing support
 options 	TCP_HHOOK		# hhook(9) framework for TCP
 options 	TCP_OFFLOAD		# TCP offload
diff --git a/sys/powerpc/conf/GENERIC64 b/sys/powerpc/conf/GENERIC64
--- a/sys/powerpc/conf/GENERIC64
+++ b/sys/powerpc/conf/GENERIC64
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
 options 	INET			# InterNETworking
 options 	INET6			# IPv6 communications protocols
 options 	IPSEC_SUPPORT		# Allow kldload of ipsec and tcpmd5
-options 	NETLINK			# netlink(4) support
 options 	ROUTE_MPATH		# Multipath routing support
 options 	TCP_OFFLOAD		# TCP offload
 options 	TCP_BLACKBOX		# Enhanced TCP event logging
diff --git a/sys/riscv/conf/GENERIC b/sys/riscv/conf/GENERIC
--- a/sys/riscv/conf/GENERIC
+++ b/sys/riscv/conf/GENERIC
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 options 	INET6			# IPv6 communications protocols
 options 	TCP_HHOOK		# hhook(9) framework for TCP
 options 	IPSEC_SUPPORT		# Allow kldload of ipsec and tcpmd5
-options 	NETLINK			# netlink(4) support
 options 	ROUTE_MPATH		# Multipath routing support
 options 	TCP_OFFLOAD		# TCP offload
 options 	TCP_BLACKBOX		# Enhanced TCP event logging