diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index 3669fac9e41..f7ab5f8703e 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ __DEFAULT_YES_OPTIONS = \
     IPX \
     JAIL \
     KERBEROS \
+    KERNEL_SYMBOLS \
     KVM \
     LEGACY_CONSOLE \
     LIB32 \
diff --git a/sys/conf/kern.post.mk b/sys/conf/kern.post.mk
index 80b1bc291e6..df5a7175238 100644
--- a/sys/conf/kern.post.mk
+++ b/sys/conf/kern.post.mk
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ kernel-install:
 .endif
 	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}${KODIR}
 	${INSTALL} -p -m 555 -o ${KMODOWN} -g ${KMODGRP} ${KERNEL_KO} ${DESTDIR}${KODIR}
-.if defined(DEBUG) && !defined(INSTALL_NODEBUG)
+.if defined(DEBUG) && !defined(INSTALL_NODEBUG) && ${MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS} == "yes"
 	${INSTALL} -p -m 555 -o ${KMODOWN} -g ${KMODGRP} ${KERNEL_KO}.symbols ${DESTDIR}${KODIR}
 .endif
 .if defined(KERNEL_EXTRA_INSTALL)
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ kernel-install:
 kernel-reinstall:
 	@-chflags -R noschg ${DESTDIR}${KODIR}
 	${INSTALL} -p -m 555 -o ${KMODOWN} -g ${KMODGRP} ${KERNEL_KO} ${DESTDIR}${KODIR}
-.if defined(DEBUG) && !defined(INSTALL_NODEBUG)
+.if defined(DEBUG) && !defined(INSTALL_NODEBUG) && ${MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS} == "yes"
 	${INSTALL} -p -m 555 -o ${KMODOWN} -g ${KMODGRP} ${KERNEL_KO}.symbols ${DESTDIR}${KODIR}
 .endif
 
diff --git a/sys/conf/kmod.mk b/sys/conf/kmod.mk
index 6d22e410d33..954db30a13e 100644
--- a/sys/conf/kmod.mk
+++ b/sys/conf/kmod.mk
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ realinstall: _kmodinstall
 _kmodinstall:
 	${INSTALL} -o ${KMODOWN} -g ${KMODGRP} -m ${KMODMODE} \
 	    ${_INSTALLFLAGS} ${PROG} ${DESTDIR}${KMODDIR}
-.if defined(DEBUG_FLAGS) && !defined(INSTALL_NODEBUG)
+.if defined(DEBUG_FLAGS) && !defined(INSTALL_NODEBUG) && ${MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS} == "yes"
 	${INSTALL} -o ${KMODOWN} -g ${KMODGRP} -m ${KMODMODE} \
 	    ${_INSTALLFLAGS} ${PROG}.symbols ${DESTDIR}${KMODDIR}
 .endif