diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4bb60f0fa23b..7587ef56b92d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 *.elf
 *.gcno
 *.gz
-*.hdrtest.c
 *.i
 *.ko
 *.lex.c
diff --git a/Documentation/dontdiff b/Documentation/dontdiff
index 554dfe4883d2..5eba889ea84d 100644
--- a/Documentation/dontdiff
+++ b/Documentation/dontdiff
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 *.grep
 *.grp
 *.gz
-*.hdrtest.c
 *.html
 *.i
 *.jpeg
diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.txt b/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.txt
index ca4b24ec0399..5080fec34609 100644
--- a/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.txt
@@ -1023,8 +1023,7 @@ When kbuild executes, the following steps are followed (roughly):
 	header-test-y specifies headers (*.h) in the current directory that
 	should be compile tested to ensure they are self-contained,
 	i.e. compilable as standalone units. If CONFIG_HEADER_TEST is enabled,
-	this autogenerates dummy sources to include the headers, and builds them
-	as part of extra-y.
+	this builds them as part of extra-y.
 
 --- 6.7 Commands useful for building a boot image
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fca827bc3f77..82fccd37a1ad 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1663,7 +1663,6 @@ clean: $(clean-dirs)
 		-o -name '*.dwo' -o -name '*.lst' \
 		-o -name '*.su'  \
 		-o -name '.*.d' -o -name '.*.tmp' -o -name '*.mod.c' \
-		-o -name '*.hdrtest.c' \
 		-o -name '*.lex.c' -o -name '*.tab.[ch]' \
 		-o -name '*.asn1.[ch]' \
 		-o -name '*.symtypes' -o -name 'modules.order' \
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index ee0319560513..776842b7e6a3 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -294,14 +294,14 @@ quiet_cmd_cc_lst_c = MKLST   $@
 $(obj)/%.lst: $(src)/%.c FORCE
 	$(call if_changed_dep,cc_lst_c)
 
-# Dummy C sources for header test (header-test-y target)
+# header test (header-test-y target)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-quiet_cmd_header_test = HDRTEST $@
-      cmd_header_test = echo "\#include \"$*.h\"" > $@
+quiet_cmd_cc_s_h = CC      $@
+      cmd_cc_s_h = $(CC) $(c_flags) -S -o $@ -x c /dev/null -include $<
 
-$(obj)/%.hdrtest.c:
-	$(call cmd,header_test)
+$(obj)/%.h.s: $(src)/%.h FORCE
+	$(call if_changed_dep,cc_s_h)
 
 # Compile assembler sources (.S)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.lib b/scripts/Makefile.lib
index 3e630fcaffd1..55ae1ec65342 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.lib
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.lib
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ extra-$(CONFIG_OF_ALL_DTBS) += $(patsubst %.dtb,%.dt.yaml, $(dtb-))
 endif
 
 # Test self-contained headers
-extra-$(CONFIG_HEADER_TEST) += $(patsubst %.h,%.hdrtest.o,$(header-test-y))
+extra-$(CONFIG_HEADER_TEST) += $(addsuffix .s, $(header-test-y))
 
 # Add subdir path
 
diff --git a/scripts/package/mkspec b/scripts/package/mkspec
index 009147d4718e..2d29df4a0a53 100755
--- a/scripts/package/mkspec
+++ b/scripts/package/mkspec
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ PROVIDES="$PROVIDES kernel-$KERNELRELEASE"
 __KERNELRELEASE=$(echo $KERNELRELEASE | sed -e "s/-/_/g")
 EXCLUDES="$RCS_TAR_IGNORE --exclude=.tmp_versions --exclude=*vmlinux* \
 --exclude=*.o --exclude=*.ko --exclude=*.cmd --exclude=Documentation \
---exclude=.config.old --exclude=.missing-syscalls.d"
+--exclude=.config.old --exclude=.missing-syscalls.d --exclude=*.s"
 
 # We can label the here-doc lines for conditional output to the spec file
 #