diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ba35ba14a974..ac11e6893ed1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -509,7 +509,6 @@ LEX		= flex
 YACC		= bison
 AWK		= awk
 INSTALLKERNEL  := installkernel
-DEPMOD		= depmod
 PERL		= perl
 PYTHON3		= python3
 CHECK		= sparse
@@ -1871,15 +1870,8 @@ PHONY += modules_check
 modules_check: $(MODORDER)
 	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/modules-check.sh $<
 
-quiet_cmd_depmod = DEPMOD  $(MODLIB)
-      cmd_depmod = $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/depmod.sh $(DEPMOD) \
-                   $(KERNELRELEASE)
-
 modules_install:
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.modinst
-ifndef modules_sign_only
-	$(call cmd,depmod)
-endif
 
 else # CONFIG_MODULES
 
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modinst b/scripts/Makefile.modinst
index ab0c5bd1a60f..7a64ece9b826 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modinst
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modinst
@@ -86,6 +86,15 @@ $(dst)/%.ko: $(extmod_prefix)%.ko FORCE
 	$(call cmd,strip)
 	$(call cmd,sign)
 
+__modinst: depmod
+
+PHONY += depmod
+depmod: $(modules)
+	$(call cmd,depmod)
+
+quiet_cmd_depmod = DEPMOD  $(MODLIB)
+      cmd_depmod = $(srctree)/scripts/depmod.sh $(KERNELRELEASE)
+
 else
 
 $(dst)/%.ko: FORCE
diff --git a/scripts/depmod.sh b/scripts/depmod.sh
index fca689ba4f21..e22da27fe13e 100755
--- a/scripts/depmod.sh
+++ b/scripts/depmod.sh
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
 #
-# A depmod wrapper used by the toplevel Makefile
+# A depmod wrapper
 
-if test $# -ne 2; then
-	echo "Usage: $0 /sbin/depmod <kernelrelease>" >&2
+if test $# -ne 1; then
+	echo "Usage: $0 <kernelrelease>" >&2
 	exit 1
 fi
-DEPMOD=$1
-KERNELRELEASE=$2
+
+KERNELRELEASE=$1
+
+: ${DEPMOD:=depmod}
 
 if ! test -r System.map ; then
 	echo "Warning: modules_install: missing 'System.map' file. Skipping depmod." >&2