diff --git a/arch/powerpc/Kconfig b/arch/powerpc/Kconfig
index 36f858c37ca70b576e851a52ada48e2400de86a1..2a5060aa1674fae4e9fba3355c0fd651cf68ed9d 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/powerpc/Kconfig
@@ -85,6 +85,17 @@ config NMI_IPI
 	depends on SMP && (DEBUGGER || KEXEC_CORE || HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR)
 	default y
 
+config PPC_WATCHDOG
+	bool
+	depends on HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR
+	depends on HAVE_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_ARCH
+	default y
+	help
+	  This is a placeholder when the powerpc hardlockup detector
+	  watchdog is selected (arch/powerpc/kernel/watchdog.c). It is
+	  seleted via the generic lockup detector menu which is why we
+	  have no standalone config option for it here.
+
 config STACKTRACE_SUPPORT
 	bool
 	default y
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/Makefile b/arch/powerpc/kernel/Makefile
index 4aa7c147e4472257564200a8a55a742c78989023..5622bd0248e5a300c72180a8ceb5aa5d484156ca 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/Makefile
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_PPC64)		+= setup_64.o sys_ppc32.o \
 				   signal_64.o ptrace32.o \
 				   paca.o nvram_64.o firmware.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_VDSO32)		+= vdso32/
-obj-$(CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR)	+= watchdog.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_PPC_WATCHDOG)	+= watchdog.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_HAVE_HW_BREAKPOINT)	+= hw_breakpoint.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_PPC_BOOK3S_64)	+= cpu_setup_ppc970.o cpu_setup_pa6t.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_PPC_BOOK3S_64)	+= cpu_setup_power.o
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/exceptions-64s.S b/arch/powerpc/kernel/exceptions-64s.S
index ab043a8cac92ae60f72fa7fbb115bad320d1b058..a42308b2187b5224c93305194a705328202bdeff 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/exceptions-64s.S
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/exceptions-64s.S
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ EXC_REAL_NONE(0x1800, 0x100)
 EXC_VIRT_NONE(0x5800, 0x100)
 #endif
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR) && defined(CONFIG_HAVE_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_ARCH)
+#ifdef CONFIG_PPC_WATCHDOG
 
 #define MASKED_DEC_HANDLER_LABEL 3f
 
@@ -1335,10 +1335,10 @@ EXC_COMMON_BEGIN(soft_nmi_common)
 			ADD_NVGPRS;ADD_RECONCILE)
 	b	ret_from_except
 
-#else
+#else /* CONFIG_PPC_WATCHDOG */
 #define MASKED_DEC_HANDLER_LABEL 2f /* normal return */
 #define MASKED_DEC_HANDLER(_H)
-#endif
+#endif /* CONFIG_PPC_WATCHDOG */
 
 /*
  * An interrupt came in while soft-disabled. We set paca->irq_happened, then: