diff --git a/arch/um/Kconfig b/arch/um/Kconfig
index c5292181a6642f601986102255691d1924b6a37b..b8e952c88fd1280f704737c95ef3e387ca055f64 100644
--- a/arch/um/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/um/Kconfig
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ config GENERIC_CALIBRATE_DELAY
 	bool
 	default y
 
+# Used in kernel/irq/manage.c and include/linux/irq.h
+config IRQ_RELEASE_METHOD
+	bool
+	default y
+
 menu "UML-specific options"
 
 config MODE_TT
diff --git a/include/linux/irq.h b/include/linux/irq.h
index b68ad80e2464d020c50554ac362bfdcd1dbf50bc..7fc1022be9ee13254dbfd7a2f6bf67e9c20cb1f6 100644
--- a/include/linux/irq.h
+++ b/include/linux/irq.h
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@ struct hw_interrupt_type {
 	void (*ack)(unsigned int irq);
 	void (*end)(unsigned int irq);
 	void (*set_affinity)(unsigned int irq, cpumask_t dest);
+	/* Currently used only by UML, might disappear one day.*/
+#ifdef CONFIG_IRQ_RELEASE_METHOD
 	void (*release)(unsigned int irq, void *dev_id);
+#endif
 };
 
 typedef struct hw_interrupt_type  hw_irq_controller;
diff --git a/kernel/irq/manage.c b/kernel/irq/manage.c
index 5fde8177eedf8c331eae4bc245bee449f63d6d7c..ac670098570579e980e6b7bba35a235f7be885a9 100644
--- a/kernel/irq/manage.c
+++ b/kernel/irq/manage.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  * This file contains driver APIs to the irq subsystem.
  */
 
+#include <linux/config.h>
 #include <linux/irq.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/random.h>
@@ -256,8 +257,11 @@ void free_irq(unsigned int irq, void *dev_id)
 			/* Found it - now remove it from the list of entries */
 			*pp = action->next;
 
+			/* Currently used only by UML, might disappear one day.*/
+#ifdef CONFIG_IRQ_RELEASE_METHOD
 			if (desc->handler->release)
 				desc->handler->release(irq, dev_id);
+#endif
 
 			if (!desc->action) {
 				desc->status |= IRQ_DISABLED;