diff --git a/samples/Kconfig b/samples/Kconfig
index 08f2d025ca05..831a7ecd3352 100644
--- a/samples/Kconfig
+++ b/samples/Kconfig
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ config SAMPLE_ANDROID_BINDERFS
 
 config SAMPLE_VFS
 	bool "Build example programs that use new VFS system calls"
-	depends on HEADERS_INSTALL
+	depends on CC_CAN_LINK && HEADERS_INSTALL
 	help
 	  Build example userspace programs that use new VFS system calls such
 	  as mount API and statx().  Note that this is restricted to the x86
diff --git a/samples/vfs/Makefile b/samples/vfs/Makefile
index 65acdde5c117..00b6824f9237 100644
--- a/samples/vfs/Makefile
+++ b/samples/vfs/Makefile
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
-# List of programs to build
-hostprogs := \
-	test-fsmount \
-	test-statx
+userprogs := test-fsmount test-statx
+always-y := $(userprogs)
 
-always-y := $(hostprogs)
-
-HOSTCFLAGS_test-fsmount.o += -I$(objtree)/usr/include
-HOSTCFLAGS_test-statx.o += -I$(objtree)/usr/include
+userccflags += -I usr/include