diff --git a/tools/objtool/builtin-check.c b/tools/objtool/builtin-check.c
index 0126ec3bb6c993889f14c93e9ea2a17ff1199e46..c6d199bfd0ae2a725826d7f2950aec98ca3dda83 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/builtin-check.c
+++ b/tools/objtool/builtin-check.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ int cmd_check(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
 	const char *objname, *s;
 	struct objtool_file *file;
+	int ret;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, check_options, check_usage, 0);
 
@@ -58,5 +59,12 @@ int cmd_check(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (!file)
 		return 1;
 
-	return check(file, false);
+	ret = check(file);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	if (file->elf->changed)
+		return elf_write(file->elf);
+
+	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tools/objtool/builtin-orc.c b/tools/objtool/builtin-orc.c
index 3979f275a77570baf4459c11782ee7c0e2a454ab..7b31121fa60b270a2ed41ce2436fc704b8431358 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/builtin-orc.c
+++ b/tools/objtool/builtin-orc.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ int cmd_orc(int argc, const char **argv)
 
 	if (!strncmp(argv[0], "gen", 3)) {
 		struct objtool_file *file;
+		int ret;
 
 		argc = parse_options(argc, argv, check_options, orc_usage, 0);
 		if (argc != 1)
@@ -43,7 +44,25 @@ int cmd_orc(int argc, const char **argv)
 		if (!file)
 			return 1;
 
-		return check(file, true);
+		ret = check(file);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		if (list_empty(&file->insn_list))
+			return 0;
+
+		ret = create_orc(file);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		ret = create_orc_sections(file);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		if (!file->elf->changed)
+			return 0;
+
+		return elf_write(file->elf);
 	}
 
 	if (!strcmp(argv[0], "dump")) {
diff --git a/tools/objtool/check.c b/tools/objtool/check.c
index 9d4efa3b12bad744f89c79fba9e8f2fa1cc73805..4afc2d5465b9608ce273460b93978e8d25f4edb8 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/check.c
+++ b/tools/objtool/check.c
@@ -2908,7 +2908,7 @@ static int validate_reachable_instructions(struct objtool_file *file)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int check(struct objtool_file *file, bool orc)
+int check(struct objtool_file *file)
 {
 	int ret, warnings = 0;
 
@@ -2960,22 +2960,6 @@ int check(struct objtool_file *file, bool orc)
 		goto out;
 	warnings += ret;
 
-	if (orc) {
-		ret = create_orc(file);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			goto out;
-
-		ret = create_orc_sections(file);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			goto out;
-	}
-
-	if (file->elf->changed) {
-		ret = elf_write(file->elf);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			goto out;
-	}
-
 out:
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		/*
diff --git a/tools/objtool/objtool.h b/tools/objtool/objtool.h
index 7efc43f221744797d7899c6309e5c47c1122e1f7..a635f68a9b09f5520ff0845273f553c30eda2a06 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/objtool.h
+++ b/tools/objtool/objtool.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ struct objtool_file {
 
 struct objtool_file *objtool_open_read(const char *_objname);
 
-int check(struct objtool_file *file, bool orc);
+int check(struct objtool_file *file);
 int orc_dump(const char *objname);
 int create_orc(struct objtool_file *file);
 int create_orc_sections(struct objtool_file *file);
diff --git a/tools/objtool/weak.c b/tools/objtool/weak.c
index 82698319f008b40c5590252097c81036848663ae..29180d599b0876ac8af823f48a8368d08f2afdaa 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/weak.c
+++ b/tools/objtool/weak.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 	return ENOSYS;							\
 })
 
-int __weak check(struct objtool_file *file, bool orc)
+int __weak check(struct objtool_file *file)
 {
 	UNSUPPORTED("check subcommand");
 }