diff --git a/tools/objtool/check.c b/tools/objtool/check.c
index 788a20b4bd98..8edeb5f2028a 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/check.c
+++ b/tools/objtool/check.c
@@ -3991,7 +3991,10 @@ static int validate_retpoline(struct objtool_file *file)
 		warnings++;
 	}
 
-	return warnings;
+	/* RETPOLINE is an optional security safety feature, make it
+	 * fatal to ensure no new code is introduced that fails
+	 * RETPOLINE */
+	return -warnings;
 }
 
 static bool is_kasan_insn(struct instruction *insn)