diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.txt b/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.txt
index bf28c47bfd7243e07c7feb009022245bcafbc881..48eab0bb1183072c23f7ff0bb55325bd3feb7e17 100644
--- a/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.txt
@@ -154,13 +154,8 @@ more details, with real examples.
 
 	Kbuild compiles all the $(obj-y) files.  It then calls
 	"$(AR) rcSTP" to merge these files into one built-in.a file.
-	This is a thin archive without a symbol table, which makes it
-	unsuitable as a linker input.
-
-	The scripts/link-vmlinux.sh script later makes an aggregate
-	built-in.a with "${AR} rcsTP", which creates the thin archive
-	with a symbol table and an index, making it a valid input for
-	the final vmlinux link passes.
+	This is a thin archive without a symbol table. It will be later
+	linked into vmlinux by scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
 
 	The order of files in $(obj-y) is significant.  Duplicates in
 	the lists are allowed: the first instance will be linked into
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index fd03d60f6c5aca50f94131f2d500cbcc4325c352..681ab58a15489162bb2f936876bfad6d12ab3516 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -394,14 +394,10 @@ $(obj)/%.asn1.c $(obj)/%.asn1.h: $(src)/%.asn1 $(objtree)/scripts/asn1_compiler
 $(sort $(subdir-obj-y)): $(subdir-ym) ;
 
 #
-# Rule to compile a set of .o files into one .o file
+# Rule to compile a set of .o files into one .a file (without symbol table)
 #
 ifdef builtin-target
 
-# built-in.a archives are made with no symbol table or index which
-# makes them small and fast, but unable to be used by the linker.
-# scripts/link-vmlinux.sh builds an aggregate built-in.a with a symbol
-# table and index.
 quiet_cmd_ar_builtin = AR      $@
       cmd_ar_builtin = rm -f $@; \
                      $(AR) rcSTP$(KBUILD_ARFLAGS) $@ $(filter $(real-obj-y), $^)
@@ -426,7 +422,7 @@ $(modorder-target): $(subdir-ym) FORCE
 	$(Q)(cat /dev/null; $(modorder-cmds)) > $@
 
 #
-# Rule to compile a set of .o files into one .a file
+# Rule to compile a set of .o files into one .a file (with symbol table)
 #
 ifdef lib-target
 quiet_cmd_link_l_target = AR      $@
diff --git a/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh b/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
index c8cf45362bd6f223dc15be63438b1ce71dcbefa3..4788def71358371b67fa64a22a14d43ff9894300 100755
--- a/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
+++ b/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh
@@ -44,24 +44,6 @@ info()
 	fi
 }
 
-# Thin archive build here makes a final archive with symbol table and indexes
-# from vmlinux objects INIT and MAIN, which can be used as input to linker.
-# KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS archives should already have symbol table and indexes
-# added.
-#
-# Traditional incremental style of link does not require this step
-#
-# built-in.a output file
-#
-archive_builtin()
-{
-	info AR built-in.a
-	rm -f built-in.a;
-	${AR} rcsTP${KBUILD_ARFLAGS} built-in.a			\
-				${KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT}		\
-				${KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN}
-}
-
 # Link of vmlinux.o used for section mismatch analysis
 # ${1} output file
 modpost_link()
@@ -69,7 +51,8 @@ modpost_link()
 	local objects
 
 	objects="--whole-archive				\
-		built-in.a					\
+		${KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT}				\
+		${KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN}				\
 		--no-whole-archive				\
 		--start-group					\
 		${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}				\
@@ -88,7 +71,8 @@ vmlinux_link()
 
 	if [ "${SRCARCH}" != "um" ]; then
 		objects="--whole-archive			\
-			built-in.a				\
+			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT}			\
+			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN}			\
 			--no-whole-archive			\
 			--start-group				\
 			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}			\
@@ -99,7 +83,8 @@ vmlinux_link()
 			-T ${lds} ${objects}
 	else
 		objects="-Wl,--whole-archive			\
-			built-in.a				\
+			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_INIT}			\
+			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_MAIN}			\
 			-Wl,--no-whole-archive			\
 			-Wl,--start-group			\
 			${KBUILD_VMLINUX_LIBS}			\
@@ -160,7 +145,6 @@ cleanup()
 	rm -f .tmp_System.map
 	rm -f .tmp_kallsyms*
 	rm -f .tmp_vmlinux*
-	rm -f built-in.a
 	rm -f System.map
 	rm -f vmlinux
 	rm -f vmlinux.o
@@ -217,8 +201,6 @@ fi;
 # final build of init/
 ${MAKE} -f "${srctree}/scripts/Makefile.build" obj=init
 
-archive_builtin
-
 #link vmlinux.o
 info LD vmlinux.o
 modpost_link vmlinux.o