diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-uniphier/Makefile b/arch/arm/mach-uniphier/Makefile
index 6bea3d3a2dd76c4129a4b99c793a11651747e214..e69de29bb2d1d6434b8b29ae775ad8c2e48c5391 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-uniphier/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-uniphier/Makefile
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/brcm/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/brcm/Makefile
index 09ba7e894bad006471cf39a9924efaa41084c80f..d8787c9a499e4713a7e5092f540fe4d3ba49255b 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/brcm/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/brcm/Makefile
@@ -35,6 +35,3 @@ dtb-$(CONFIG_DT_NONE) += \
bcm97435svmb.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/cavium-octeon/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/cavium-octeon/Makefile
index f5d01b31df50139eaff92f1e5e01f286a925d016..24a8efcd7b038760db523802c4fbca851a740cf4 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/cavium-octeon/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/cavium-octeon/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,3 @@
dtb-$(CONFIG_CAVIUM_OCTEON_SOC) += octeon_3xxx.dtb octeon_68xx.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/img/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/img/Makefile
index 3eb2597a4d6c5b884c34360aa03bf6b71d5eec9c..441a3c16efb0d97842ad2326622a85563b5f7129 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/img/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/img/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,3 @@ dtb-$(CONFIG_FIT_IMAGE_FDT_BOSTON) += boston.dtb
dtb-$(CONFIG_MACH_PISTACHIO) += pistachio_marduk.dtb
obj-$(CONFIG_MACH_PISTACHIO) += pistachio_marduk.dtb.o
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/ingenic/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/ingenic/Makefile
index 035769269cbc412ba32b61a5c6488d4012a2851c..6a31759839b415d008b35e5159b2a81335de92c9 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/ingenic/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/ingenic/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,3 @@ dtb-$(CONFIG_JZ4740_QI_LB60) += qi_lb60.dtb
dtb-$(CONFIG_JZ4780_CI20) += ci20.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/lantiq/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/lantiq/Makefile
index 00e2e540ed3f2d230ea6615dffe12a8c3e5a5bd9..51ab9c1dff42a2553acc2ce559f5629bd41c4ed5 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/lantiq/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/lantiq/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,3 @@
dtb-$(CONFIG_DT_EASY50712) += easy50712.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/mti/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/mti/Makefile
index 480af498a9ddba4fa68afe919722d531cb1e9e7e..3508720cb6d9e1da773e52c7ca21b2ac5cb57c30 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/mti/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/mti/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,3 @@ dtb-$(CONFIG_MIPS_MALTA) += malta.dtb
dtb-$(CONFIG_LEGACY_BOARD_SEAD3) += sead3.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/netlogic/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/netlogic/Makefile
index 2b99450d743344b4e2be402bba1ea6544e05a680..d630b27950f0605d58d9047cc7ab76090206dafe 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/netlogic/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/netlogic/Makefile
@@ -6,6 +6,3 @@ dtb-$(CONFIG_DT_XLP_GVP) += xlp_gvp.dtb
dtb-$(CONFIG_DT_XLP_RVP) += xlp_rvp.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/ni/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/ni/Makefile
index 6cd9c606f0255cb6678c282487cd02a85a9b68be..9e2c9faede4739853e0bb35442cb51cd2e4cca1a 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/ni/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/ni/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1 @@
dtb-$(CONFIG_FIT_IMAGE_FDT_NI169445) += 169445.dtb
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/pic32/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/pic32/Makefile
index a139a0fbd7b794095d92ddf513875e61687d2f0a..ba9bcef8fde91dfaa03a75f61cda7c5edb92e464 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/pic32/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/pic32/Makefile
@@ -5,6 +5,3 @@ dtb-$(CONFIG_DTB_PIC32_NONE) += \
pic32mzda_sk.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/qca/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/qca/Makefile
index 639adeac90af8cd68389ec168ba6b29000197c55..4451cf45b0ad04532dd108677a3b8329093c4756 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/qca/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/qca/Makefile
@@ -5,6 +5,3 @@ dtb-$(CONFIG_ATH79) += ar9331_dpt_module.dtb
dtb-$(CONFIG_ATH79) += ar9331_dragino_ms14.dtb
dtb-$(CONFIG_ATH79) += ar9331_omega.dtb
dtb-$(CONFIG_ATH79) += ar9331_tl_mr3020.dtb
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/ralink/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/ralink/Makefile
index 323c8bcfb602b9072d12c0cafceec8cf69da50ca..94bee5b38b53b3701072002e8d5c5939bbfb6dd9 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/ralink/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/ralink/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,3 @@ dtb-$(CONFIG_DTB_OMEGA2P) += omega2p.dtb
dtb-$(CONFIG_DTB_VOCORE2) += vocore2.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/arch/mips/boot/dts/xilfpga/Makefile b/arch/mips/boot/dts/xilfpga/Makefile
index 616322405ade7a1e2bc13fd7738534bceeb10d17..9987e0e378c50c6f19eb0457eae914f827f9688b 100644
--- a/arch/mips/boot/dts/xilfpga/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/boot/dts/xilfpga/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,3 @@
dtb-$(CONFIG_FIT_IMAGE_FDT_XILFPGA) += nexys4ddr.dtb
obj-y += $(patsubst %.dtb, %.dtb.o, $(dtb-y))
-
-# Force kbuild to make empty built-in.o if necessary
-obj- += dummy.o
diff --git a/firmware/Makefile b/firmware/Makefile
index 168094a3fae7ebb109c1ead9fe3b8c3e38201444..29641383e136024ec9f2993b1a29a7fc9c2fa94b 100644
--- a/firmware/Makefile
+++ b/firmware/Makefile
@@ -59,6 +59,3 @@ endif
targets := $(patsubst $(obj)/%,%, \
$(shell find $(obj) -name \*.gen.S 2>/dev/null))
-# Without this, built-in.o won't be created when it's empty, and the
-# final vmlinux link will fail.
-obj- := dummy
diff --git a/samples/bpf/Makefile b/samples/bpf/Makefile
index 3b4945c1eab06aec48c326f6b1d822cb158461ff..adeaa1302f346a2c2af0843584d2e1803e8f66a6 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/samples/bpf/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
-# kbuild trick to avoid linker error. Can be omitted if a module is built.
-obj- := dummy.o
-
# List of programs to build
hostprogs-y := test_lru_dist
hostprogs-y += sock_example
diff --git a/samples/hidraw/Makefile b/samples/hidraw/Makefile
index f5c3012ffa795b676b7e4ff0bb63626844f1ad2e..dec1b22adf54afff9651f92eddb65a9aaa1e4d76 100644
--- a/samples/hidraw/Makefile
+++ b/samples/hidraw/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
-# kbuild trick to avoid linker error. Can be omitted if a module is built.
-obj- := dummy.o
-
# List of programs to build
hostprogs-y := hid-example
diff --git a/samples/seccomp/Makefile b/samples/seccomp/Makefile
index 19a870eed82b398307404431947e86d727db1674..0e349b80686e76a421759b931ec04d194e446768 100644
--- a/samples/seccomp/Makefile
+++ b/samples/seccomp/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
-# kbuild trick to avoid linker error. Can be omitted if a module is built.
-obj- := dummy.o
-
hostprogs-$(CONFIG_SAMPLE_SECCOMP) := bpf-fancy dropper bpf-direct
HOSTCFLAGS_bpf-fancy.o += -I$(objtree)/usr/include
diff --git a/samples/sockmap/Makefile b/samples/sockmap/Makefile
index 9291ab8e0f8c5a089425ae65f9ee20e718e0a9ff..73f1da4d116cf9a78a01cb3293d11f8a27a589cc 100644
--- a/samples/sockmap/Makefile
+++ b/samples/sockmap/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# kbuild trick to avoid linker error. Can be omitted if a module is built.
-obj- := dummy.o
-
# List of programs to build
hostprogs-y := sockmap
diff --git a/samples/statx/Makefile b/samples/statx/Makefile
index 1f80a3d8cf45ca913e97ba5094443af07a12b6ae..59df7c25a9d1589caa4ad444768b33055c9f99f8 100644
--- a/samples/statx/Makefile
+++ b/samples/statx/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# kbuild trick to avoid linker error. Can be omitted if a module is built.
-obj- := dummy.o
-
# List of programs to build
hostprogs-$(CONFIG_SAMPLE_STATX) := test-statx
diff --git a/samples/uhid/Makefile b/samples/uhid/Makefile
index c95a696560a7de59f3a7839ef85ec57d90c3aa29..8d7fd6190ac4e9f07cd2de96f9e144a3b73fdc5b 100644
--- a/samples/uhid/Makefile
+++ b/samples/uhid/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# kbuild trick to avoid linker error. Can be omitted if a module is built.
-obj- := dummy.o
-
# List of programs to build
hostprogs-y := uhid-example