diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 72eb55a36545..48a2dfaf3bf3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -218,6 +218,9 @@ ifeq ("$(origin M)", "command line")
   KBUILD_EXTMOD := $(M)
 endif
 
+$(if $(word 2, $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)), \
+	$(error building multiple external modules is not supported))
+
 export KBUILD_CHECKSRC KBUILD_EXTMOD
 
 extmod-prefix = $(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD),$(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/)
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modpost b/scripts/Makefile.modpost
index 957eed6a17a5..b79bf0e30d32 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modpost
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modpost
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ include include/config/auto.conf
 include scripts/Kbuild.include
 
 kernelsymfile := $(objtree)/Module.symvers
-modulesymfile := $(firstword $(KBUILD_EXTMOD))/Module.symvers
+modulesymfile := $(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/Module.symvers
 
 MODPOST = scripts/mod/modpost								\
 	$(if $(CONFIG_MODVERSIONS),-m)							\