diff --git a/Kbuild b/Kbuild
index ab8ded92e870..6f0d82a9245d 100644
--- a/Kbuild
+++ b/Kbuild
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ define sed-y
 	s:->::; p;}"
 endef
 
-quiet_cmd_offsets = GEN     $@
-define cmd_offsets
+# Use filechk to avoid rebuilds when a header changes, but the resulting file
+# does not
+define filechk_offsets
 	(set -e; \
 	 echo "#ifndef $2"; \
 	 echo "#define $2"; \
@@ -24,9 +25,9 @@ define cmd_offsets
 	 echo " * This file was generated by Kbuild"; \
 	 echo " */"; \
 	 echo ""; \
-	 sed -ne $(sed-y) $<; \
+	 sed -ne $(sed-y); \
 	 echo ""; \
-	 echo "#endif" ) > $@
+	 echo "#endif" )
 endef
 
 #####
@@ -35,16 +36,15 @@ endef
 bounds-file := include/generated/bounds.h
 
 always  := $(bounds-file)
-targets := $(bounds-file) kernel/bounds.s
+targets := kernel/bounds.s
 
 # We use internal kbuild rules to avoid the "is up to date" message from make
 kernel/bounds.s: kernel/bounds.c FORCE
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(dir $@)
 	$(call if_changed_dep,cc_s_c)
 
-$(obj)/$(bounds-file): kernel/bounds.s Kbuild
-	$(Q)mkdir -p $(dir $@)
-	$(call cmd,offsets,__LINUX_BOUNDS_H__)
+$(obj)/$(bounds-file): kernel/bounds.s FORCE
+	$(call filechk,offsets,__LINUX_BOUNDS_H__)
 
 #####
 # 2) Generate asm-offsets.h
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ $(obj)/$(bounds-file): kernel/bounds.s Kbuild
 offsets-file := include/generated/asm-offsets.h
 
 always  += $(offsets-file)
-targets += $(offsets-file)
 targets += arch/$(SRCARCH)/kernel/asm-offsets.s
 
 # We use internal kbuild rules to avoid the "is up to date" message from make
@@ -62,8 +61,8 @@ arch/$(SRCARCH)/kernel/asm-offsets.s: arch/$(SRCARCH)/kernel/asm-offsets.c \
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(dir $@)
 	$(call if_changed_dep,cc_s_c)
 
-$(obj)/$(offsets-file): arch/$(SRCARCH)/kernel/asm-offsets.s Kbuild
-	$(call cmd,offsets,__ASM_OFFSETS_H__)
+$(obj)/$(offsets-file): arch/$(SRCARCH)/kernel/asm-offsets.s FORCE
+	$(call filechk,offsets,__ASM_OFFSETS_H__)
 
 #####
 # 3) Check for missing system calls
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9b76ce1e08bb..6cc5b2434224 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ NAME = Hurr durr I'ma sheep
 # Comments in this file are targeted only to the developer, do not
 # expect to learn how to build the kernel reading this file.
 
-# Do not use make's built-in rules and variables
-# (this increases performance and avoids hard-to-debug behaviour);
-MAKEFLAGS += -rR
+# o Do not use make's built-in rules and variables
+#   (this increases performance and avoids hard-to-debug behaviour);
+# o Look for make include files relative to root of kernel src
+MAKEFLAGS += -rR --include-dir=$(CURDIR)
 
 # Avoid funny character set dependencies
 unexport LC_ALL
@@ -344,12 +345,9 @@ endif
 export COMPILER
 endif
 
-# Look for make include files relative to root of kernel src
-MAKEFLAGS += --include-dir=$(srctree)
-
 # We need some generic definitions (do not try to remake the file).
-$(srctree)/scripts/Kbuild.include: ;
-include $(srctree)/scripts/Kbuild.include
+scripts/Kbuild.include: ;
+include scripts/Kbuild.include
 
 # Make variables (CC, etc...)
 AS		= $(CROSS_COMPILE)as
@@ -533,7 +531,7 @@ ifeq ($(config-targets),1)
 # Read arch specific Makefile to set KBUILD_DEFCONFIG as needed.
 # KBUILD_DEFCONFIG may point out an alternative default configuration
 # used for 'make defconfig'
-include $(srctree)/arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
+include arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
 export KBUILD_DEFCONFIG KBUILD_KCONFIG
 
 config: scripts_basic outputmakefile FORCE
@@ -609,7 +607,7 @@ endif # $(dot-config)
 # Defaults to vmlinux, but the arch makefile usually adds further targets
 all: vmlinux
 
-include $(srctree)/arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
+include arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
 
 KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= $(call cc-option,-fno-delete-null-pointer-checks,)
 
@@ -782,8 +780,8 @@ ifeq ($(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/gcc-goto.sh $(CC)), y)
 	KBUILD_AFLAGS += -DCC_HAVE_ASM_GOTO
 endif
 
-include $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.kasan
-include $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.extrawarn
+include scripts/Makefile.kasan
+include scripts/Makefile.extrawarn
 
 # Add user supplied CPPFLAGS, AFLAGS and CFLAGS as the last assignments
 KBUILD_CPPFLAGS += $(KCPPFLAGS)
@@ -1026,12 +1024,6 @@ headerdep:
 	$(Q)find $(srctree)/include/ -name '*.h' | xargs --max-args 1 \
 	$(srctree)/scripts/headerdep.pl -I$(srctree)/include
 
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-PHONY += depend dep
-depend dep:
-	@echo '*** Warning: make $@ is unnecessary now.'
-
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Firmware install
 INSTALL_FW_PATH=$(INSTALL_MOD_PATH)/lib/firmware
diff --git a/arch/arm/boot/Makefile b/arch/arm/boot/Makefile
index ec2f8065f955..9eca7aee927f 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boot/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/boot/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #
 
 ifneq ($(MACHINE),)
-include $(srctree)/$(MACHINE)/Makefile.boot
+include $(MACHINE)/Makefile.boot
 endif
 
 # Note: the following conditions must always be true:
diff --git a/arch/ia64/kernel/Makefile b/arch/ia64/kernel/Makefile
index 20678a9ed11a..d68b5cf81e31 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/arch/ia64/kernel/Makefile
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_BINFMT_ELF)	+= elfcore.o
 CFLAGS_traps.o  += -mfixed-range=f2-f5,f16-f31
 
 # The gate DSO image is built using a special linker script.
-include $(srctree)/arch/ia64/kernel/Makefile.gate
+include $(src)/Makefile.gate
 # tell compiled for native
 CPPFLAGS_gate.lds += -D__IA64_GATE_PARAVIRTUALIZED_NATIVE
 
diff --git a/arch/mips/Makefile b/arch/mips/Makefile
index 8f57fc72d62c..d152dfbc360d 100644
--- a/arch/mips/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/Makefile
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ endif
 #
 # Board-dependent options and extra files
 #
-include $(srctree)/arch/mips/Kbuild.platforms
+include arch/mips/Kbuild.platforms
 
 ifdef CONFIG_PHYSICAL_START
 load-y					= $(CONFIG_PHYSICAL_START)
diff --git a/arch/um/Makefile b/arch/um/Makefile
index e4b1a9639c4d..17d4460b1af3 100644
--- a/arch/um/Makefile
+++ b/arch/um/Makefile
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ endif
 
 HOST_DIR := arch/$(HEADER_ARCH)
 
-include $(srctree)/$(ARCH_DIR)/Makefile-skas
-include $(srctree)/$(HOST_DIR)/Makefile.um
+include $(ARCH_DIR)/Makefile-skas
+include $(HOST_DIR)/Makefile.um
 
 core-y += $(HOST_DIR)/um/
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ USER_CFLAGS = $(patsubst $(KERNEL_DEFINES),,$(patsubst -D__KERNEL__,,\
 	$(filter -I%,$(CFLAGS)) -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -idirafter include
 
 #This will adjust *FLAGS accordingly to the platform.
-include $(srctree)/$(ARCH_DIR)/Makefile-os-$(OS)
+include $(ARCH_DIR)/Makefile-os-$(OS)
 
 KBUILD_CPPFLAGS += -I$(srctree)/$(HOST_DIR)/include \
 		   -I$(srctree)/$(HOST_DIR)/include/uapi \
diff --git a/arch/x86/Makefile b/arch/x86/Makefile
index 5ba2d9ce82dc..2fda005bb334 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/Makefile
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_X86_32),y)
 				$(call cc-option,-fno-unit-at-a-time))
 
         # CPU-specific tuning. Anything which can be shared with UML should go here.
-        include $(srctree)/arch/x86/Makefile_32.cpu
+        include arch/x86/Makefile_32.cpu
         KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(cflags-y)
 
         # temporary until string.h is fixed
diff --git a/arch/x86/Makefile.um b/arch/x86/Makefile.um
index 95eba554baf9..5b7e898ffd9a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Makefile.um
+++ b/arch/x86/Makefile.um
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ LDS_EXTRA		:= -Ui386
 export LDS_EXTRA
 
 # First of all, tune CFLAGS for the specific CPU. This actually sets cflags-y.
-include $(srctree)/arch/x86/Makefile_32.cpu
+include arch/x86/Makefile_32.cpu
 
 # prevent gcc from keeping the stack 16 byte aligned. Taken from i386.
 cflags-y += $(call cc-option,-mpreferred-stack-boundary=2)
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.dtbinst b/scripts/Makefile.dtbinst
index 909ed7a2ac61..1c15717e0d56 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.dtbinst
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.dtbinst
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ export dtbinst-root ?= $(obj)
 
 include include/config/auto.conf
 include scripts/Kbuild.include
-include $(srctree)/$(obj)/Makefile
+include $(src)/Makefile
 
 PHONY += __dtbs_install_prep
 __dtbs_install_prep:
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.fwinst b/scripts/Makefile.fwinst
index 5b698add4f31..b27290035253 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.fwinst
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.fwinst
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ src := $(obj)
 -include $(objtree)/.config
 
 include scripts/Kbuild.include
-include $(srctree)/$(obj)/Makefile
+include $(src)/Makefile
 
 include scripts/Makefile.host
 
diff --git a/scripts/kallsyms.c b/scripts/kallsyms.c
index c6d33bd15b04..8fa81e84e295 100644
--- a/scripts/kallsyms.c
+++ b/scripts/kallsyms.c
@@ -212,15 +212,22 @@ static int symbol_valid(struct sym_entry *s)
 		"_SDA_BASE_",		/* ppc */
 		"_SDA2_BASE_",		/* ppc */
 		NULL };
+
+	static char *special_suffixes[] = {
+		"_veneer",		/* arm */
+		NULL };
+
 	int i;
-	int offset = 1;
+	char *sym_name = (char *)s->sym + 1;
+
 
 	if (s->addr < kernel_start_addr)
 		return 0;
 
 	/* skip prefix char */
-	if (symbol_prefix_char && *(s->sym + 1) == symbol_prefix_char)
-		offset++;
+	if (symbol_prefix_char && *sym_name == symbol_prefix_char)
+		sym_name++;
+
 
 	/* if --all-symbols is not specified, then symbols outside the text
 	 * and inittext sections are discarded */
@@ -235,22 +242,26 @@ static int symbol_valid(struct sym_entry *s)
 		 * rules.
 		 */
 		if ((s->addr == text_range_text->end &&
-				strcmp((char *)s->sym + offset,
+				strcmp(sym_name,
 				       text_range_text->end_sym)) ||
 		    (s->addr == text_range_inittext->end &&
-				strcmp((char *)s->sym + offset,
+				strcmp(sym_name,
 				       text_range_inittext->end_sym)))
 			return 0;
 	}
 
 	/* Exclude symbols which vary between passes. */
-	if (strstr((char *)s->sym + offset, "_compiled."))
-		return 0;
-
 	for (i = 0; special_symbols[i]; i++)
-		if( strcmp((char *)s->sym + offset, special_symbols[i]) == 0 )
+		if (strcmp(sym_name, special_symbols[i]) == 0)
 			return 0;
 
+	for (i = 0; special_suffixes[i]; i++) {
+		int l = strlen(sym_name) - strlen(special_suffixes[i]);
+
+		if (l >= 0 && strcmp(sym_name + l, special_suffixes[i]) == 0)
+			return 0;
+	}
+
 	return 1;
 }