diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index 0e801c3..d5d859c 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -211,7 +211,8 @@
 
 cmd_gensymtypes =                                                           \
     $(CPP) -D__GENKSYMS__ $(c_flags) $< |                                   \
-    $(GENKSYMS) $(if $(1), -T $(2)) -a $(ARCH)                              \
+    $(GENKSYMS) $(if $(1), -T $(2))                                         \
+     $(patsubst y,-s _,$(CONFIG_HAVE_UNDERSCORE_SYMBOL_PREFIX))             \
      $(if $(KBUILD_PRESERVE),-p)                                            \
      -r $(firstword $(wildcard $(2:.symtypes=.symref) /dev/null))
 
diff --git a/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.c b/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.c
index d25e4a1..88632df 100644
--- a/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.c
+++ b/scripts/genksyms/genksyms.c
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 
 static int flag_debug, flag_dump_defs, flag_reference, flag_dump_types,
 	   flag_preserve, flag_warnings;
-static const char *arch = "";
 static const char *mod_prefix = "";
 
 static int errors;
@@ -731,7 +730,7 @@
 {
 	fputs("Usage:\n" "genksyms [-adDTwqhV] > /path/to/.tmp_obj.ver\n" "\n"
 #ifdef __GNU_LIBRARY__
-	      "  -a, --arch            Select architecture\n"
+	      "  -s, --symbol-prefix   Select symbol prefix\n"
 	      "  -d, --debug           Increment the debug level (repeatable)\n"
 	      "  -D, --dump            Dump expanded symbol defs (for debugging only)\n"
 	      "  -r, --reference file  Read reference symbols from a file\n"
@@ -742,7 +741,7 @@
 	      "  -h, --help            Print this message\n"
 	      "  -V, --version         Print the release version\n"
 #else				/* __GNU_LIBRARY__ */
-	      "  -a                    Select architecture\n"
+	      "  -s                    Select symbol prefix\n"
 	      "  -d                    Increment the debug level (repeatable)\n"
 	      "  -D                    Dump expanded symbol defs (for debugging only)\n"
 	      "  -r file               Read reference symbols from a file\n"
@@ -763,7 +762,7 @@
 
 #ifdef __GNU_LIBRARY__
 	struct option long_opts[] = {
-		{"arch", 1, 0, 'a'},
+		{"symbol-prefix", 1, 0, 's'},
 		{"debug", 0, 0, 'd'},
 		{"warnings", 0, 0, 'w'},
 		{"quiet", 0, 0, 'q'},
@@ -776,14 +775,14 @@
 		{0, 0, 0, 0}
 	};
 
-	while ((o = getopt_long(argc, argv, "a:dwqVDr:T:ph",
+	while ((o = getopt_long(argc, argv, "s:dwqVDr:T:ph",
 				&long_opts[0], NULL)) != EOF)
 #else				/* __GNU_LIBRARY__ */
-	while ((o = getopt(argc, argv, "a:dwqVDr:T:ph")) != EOF)
+	while ((o = getopt(argc, argv, "s:dwqVDr:T:ph")) != EOF)
 #endif				/* __GNU_LIBRARY__ */
 		switch (o) {
-		case 'a':
-			arch = optarg;
+		case 's':
+			mod_prefix = optarg;
 			break;
 		case 'd':
 			flag_debug++;
@@ -826,9 +825,6 @@
 			genksyms_usage();
 			return 1;
 		}
-	if ((strcmp(arch, "h8300") == 0) || (strcmp(arch, "blackfin") == 0) ||
-	    (strcmp(arch, "metag") == 0))
-		mod_prefix = "_";
 	{
 		extern int yydebug;
 		extern int yy_flex_debug;