diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generate-config.pl b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generate-config.pl
index 5574cc937af7..5bce3af94293 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generate-config.pl
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generate-config.pl
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ my $wd = getcwd;
 
 my $debug = $ENV{'DEBUG'};
 my $autoModules = $ENV{'AUTO_MODULES'};
+my $preferBuiltin = $ENV{'PREFER_BUILTIN'};
     
 $SIG{PIPE} = 'IGNORE';
 
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ sub runConfig {
                 my $question = $1; my $name = $2; my $alts = $3;
                 my $answer = "";
                 # Build everything as a module if possible.
-                $answer = "m" if $autoModules && $alts =~ /\/m/;
+                $answer = "m" if $autoModules && $alts =~ /\/m/ && !($preferBuiltin && $alts =~ /Y/);
                 $answer = $answers{$name} if defined $answers{$name};
                 print STDERR "QUESTION: $question, NAME: $name, ALTS: $alts, ANSWER: $answer\n" if $debug;
                 print OUT "$answer\n";
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix
index af14434b08f2..16b35e9aa3e2 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ let
     kernelBaseConfig = stdenv.platform.kernelBaseConfig;
     kernelTarget = stdenv.platform.kernelTarget;
     autoModules = stdenv.platform.kernelAutoModules;
+    preferBuiltin = stdenv.platform.kernelPreferBuiltin or false;
     arch = stdenv.platform.kernelArch;
 
     crossAttrs = let
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ let
       echo "generating kernel configuration..."
       echo "$kernelConfig" > kernel-config
       DEBUG=1 ARCH=$arch KERNEL_CONFIG=kernel-config AUTO_MODULES=$autoModules \
-           SRC=../$sourceRoot perl -w $generateConfig
+           PREFER_BUILTIN=$preferBuiltin SRC=../$sourceRoot perl -w $generateConfig
     '';
 
     installPhase = "mv .config $out";