diff --git a/tools/net/ynl/ynl-gen-c.py b/tools/net/ynl/ynl-gen-c.py
index cbbda276f6d1..ba1c3611c6fa 100755
--- a/tools/net/ynl/ynl-gen-c.py
+++ b/tools/net/ynl/ynl-gen-c.py
@@ -1164,8 +1164,9 @@ class RenderInfo:
 
 
 class CodeWriter:
-    def __init__(self, nlib, out_file=None):
+    def __init__(self, nlib, out_file=None, overwrite=True):
         self.nlib = nlib
+        self._overwrite = overwrite
 
         self._nl = False
         self._block_end = False
@@ -1186,8 +1187,9 @@ class CodeWriter:
             return
         # Avoid modifying the file if contents didn't change
         self._out.flush()
-        if os.path.isfile(self._out_file) and filecmp.cmp(self._out.name, self._out_file, shallow=False):
-            return
+        if not self._overwrite and os.path.isfile(self._out_file):
+            if filecmp.cmp(self._out.name, self._out_file, shallow=False):
+                return
         with open(self._out_file, 'w+') as out_file:
             self._out.seek(0)
             shutil.copyfileobj(self._out, out_file)
@@ -2516,6 +2518,8 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument('--header', dest='header', action='store_true', default=None)
     parser.add_argument('--source', dest='header', action='store_false')
     parser.add_argument('--user-header', nargs='+', default=[])
+    parser.add_argument('--cmp-out', action='store_true', default=None,
+                        help='Do not overwrite the output file if the new output is identical to the old')
     parser.add_argument('--exclude-op', action='append', default=[])
     parser.add_argument('-o', dest='out_file', type=str, default=None)
     args = parser.parse_args()
@@ -2543,7 +2547,7 @@ def main():
         print(f'Message enum-model {parsed.msg_id_model} not supported for {args.mode} generation')
         os.sys.exit(1)
 
-    cw = CodeWriter(BaseNlLib(), args.out_file)
+    cw = CodeWriter(BaseNlLib(), args.out_file, overwrite=(not args.cmp_out))
 
     _, spec_kernel = find_kernel_root(args.spec)
     if args.mode == 'uapi' or args.header:
diff --git a/tools/net/ynl/ynl-regen.sh b/tools/net/ynl/ynl-regen.sh
index bdba24066cf1..a37304dcc88e 100755
--- a/tools/net/ynl/ynl-regen.sh
+++ b/tools/net/ynl/ynl-regen.sh
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ for f in $files; do
     fi
 
     echo -e "\tGEN ${params[2]}\t$f"
-    $TOOL --mode ${params[2]} --${params[3]} --spec $KDIR/${params[0]} \
-	  $args -o $f
+    $TOOL --cmp-out --mode ${params[2]} --${params[3]} \
+	  --spec $KDIR/${params[0]} $args -o $f
 done
 
 popd >>/dev/null