diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6c0a4686cf10..3629b1278960 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1117,6 +1117,41 @@ export INSTALL_DTBS_PATH ?= $(INSTALL_PATH)/dtbs/$(KERNELRELEASE)
 MODLIB	= $(INSTALL_MOD_PATH)/lib/modules/$(KERNELRELEASE)
 export MODLIB
 
+HOST_LIBELF_LIBS = $(shell pkg-config libelf --libs 2>/dev/null || echo -lelf)
+
+has_libelf = $(call try-run,\
+               echo "int main() {}" | $(HOSTCC) $(KBUILD_HOSTLDFLAGS) -xc -o /dev/null $(HOST_LIBELF_LIBS) -,1,0)
+
+ifdef CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
+  ifeq ($(has_libelf),1)
+    objtool_target := tools/objtool FORCE
+  else
+    SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION := 1
+    export SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION
+  endif
+endif
+
+PHONY += resolve_btfids_clean
+
+resolve_btfids_O = $(abspath $(objtree))/tools/bpf/resolve_btfids
+
+# tools/bpf/resolve_btfids directory might not exist
+# in output directory, skip its clean in that case
+resolve_btfids_clean:
+ifneq ($(wildcard $(resolve_btfids_O)),)
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) -sC $(srctree)/tools/bpf/resolve_btfids O=$(resolve_btfids_O) clean
+endif
+
+ifdef CONFIG_BPF
+ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF
+  ifeq ($(has_libelf),1)
+    resolve_btfids_target := tools/bpf/resolve_btfids FORCE
+  else
+    ERROR_RESOLVE_BTFIDS := 1
+  endif
+endif # CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF
+endif # CONFIG_BPF
+
 PHONY += prepare0
 
 export extmod_prefix = $(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD),$(KBUILD_EXTMOD)/)
@@ -1266,7 +1301,7 @@ prepare0: archprepare
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=.
 
 # All the preparing..
-prepare: prepare0
+prepare: prepare0 prepare-objtool prepare-resolve_btfids
 
 PHONY += remove-stale-files
 remove-stale-files:
@@ -1283,6 +1318,26 @@ uapi-asm-generic:
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(asm-generic)=arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated/uapi/asm \
 	generic=include/uapi/asm-generic
 
+PHONY += prepare-objtool prepare-resolve_btfids
+prepare-objtool: $(objtool_target)
+ifeq ($(SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION),1)
+ifdef CONFIG_FTRACE_MCOUNT_USE_OBJTOOL
+	@echo "error: Cannot generate __mcount_loc for CONFIG_DYNAMIC_FTRACE=y, please install libelf-dev, libelf-devel or elfutils-libelf-devel" >&2
+	@false
+endif
+ifdef CONFIG_UNWINDER_ORC
+	@echo "error: Cannot generate ORC metadata for CONFIG_UNWINDER_ORC=y, please install libelf-dev, libelf-devel or elfutils-libelf-devel" >&2
+	@false
+else
+	@echo "warning: Cannot use CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION=y, please install libelf-dev, libelf-devel or elfutils-libelf-devel" >&2
+endif
+endif
+
+prepare-resolve_btfids: $(resolve_btfids_target)
+ifeq ($(ERROR_RESOLVE_BTFIDS),1)
+	@echo "error: Cannot resolve BTF IDs for CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF, please install libelf-dev, libelf-devel or elfutils-libelf-devel" >&2
+	@false
+endif
 # Generate some files
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -1351,27 +1406,6 @@ scripts_unifdef: scripts_basic
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Tools
 
-ifdef CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
-prepare: tools/objtool
-endif
-
-ifdef CONFIG_BPF
-ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF
-prepare: tools/bpf/resolve_btfids
-endif
-endif
-
-PHONY += resolve_btfids_clean
-
-resolve_btfids_O = $(abspath $(objtree))/tools/bpf/resolve_btfids
-
-# tools/bpf/resolve_btfids directory might not exist
-# in output directory, skip its clean in that case
-resolve_btfids_clean:
-ifneq ($(wildcard $(resolve_btfids_O)),)
-	$(Q)$(MAKE) -sC $(srctree)/tools/bpf/resolve_btfids O=$(resolve_btfids_O) clean
-endif
-
 # Clear a bunch of variables before executing the submake
 ifeq ($(quiet),silent_)
 tools_silent=s
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index 10b2f2380d6f..34d257653fb4 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ endif # CONFIG_FTRACE_MCOUNT_USE_RECORDMCOUNT
 
 ifdef CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
 ifndef CONFIG_LTO_CLANG
+ifneq ($(SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION),1)
 
 __objtool_obj := $(objtree)/tools/objtool/objtool
 
@@ -232,6 +233,7 @@ objtool_obj = $(if $(patsubst y%,, \
 	$(OBJECT_FILES_NON_STANDARD_$(basetarget).o)$(OBJECT_FILES_NON_STANDARD)n), \
 	$(__objtool_obj))
 
+endif # SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION
 endif # CONFIG_LTO_CLANG
 endif # CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
 
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modfinal b/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
index 5e9b8057fb24..a7883e455290 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modfinal
@@ -39,10 +39,12 @@ prelink-ext := .lto
 # so let's now process the prelinked binary before we link the module.
 
 ifdef CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
+ifneq ($(SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION),1)
 cmd_ld_ko_o +=								\
 	$(objtree)/tools/objtool/objtool $(objtool_args)		\
 		$(@:.ko=$(prelink-ext).o);
 
+endif # SKIP_STACK_VALIDATION
 endif # CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION
 
 endif # CONFIG_LTO_CLANG