diff --git a/arch/powerpc/Makefile b/arch/powerpc/Makefile
index 19b0d1a81959..c09600bb2fe2 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/powerpc/Makefile
@@ -274,17 +274,6 @@ PHONY += $(BOOT_TARGETS1) $(BOOT_TARGETS2)
 
 boot := arch/$(ARCH)/boot
 
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_RELOCATABLE),y)
-quiet_cmd_relocs_check = CALL    $<
-      cmd_relocs_check = $(CONFIG_SHELL) $< "$(OBJDUMP)" "$(obj)/vmlinux"
-
-PHONY += relocs_check
-relocs_check: arch/powerpc/relocs_check.sh vmlinux
-	$(call cmd,relocs_check)
-
-zImage: relocs_check
-endif
-
 $(BOOT_TARGETS1): vmlinux
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=$(boot) $(patsubst %,$(boot)/%,$@)
 $(BOOT_TARGETS2): vmlinux
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/Makefile.postlink b/arch/powerpc/Makefile.postlink
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8c0170e45069
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/powerpc/Makefile.postlink
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# ===========================================================================
+# Post-link powerpc pass
+# ===========================================================================
+#
+# 1. Check that vmlinux relocations look sane
+
+PHONY := __archpost
+__archpost:
+
+include include/config/auto.conf
+include scripts/Kbuild.include
+
+quiet_cmd_relocs_check = CHKREL  $@
+      cmd_relocs_check = $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/arch/powerpc/relocs_check.sh "$(OBJDUMP)" "$@"
+
+# `@true` prevents complaint when there is nothing to be done
+
+vmlinux: FORCE
+	@true
+ifdef CONFIG_RELOCATABLE
+	$(call if_changed,relocs_check)
+endif
+
+%.ko: FORCE
+	@true
+
+clean:
+	@true
+
+PHONY += FORCE clean
+
+FORCE:
+
+.PHONY: $(PHONY)