diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b7b80e84e1eb..1f205a004437 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -607,6 +607,7 @@ KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS := $(rust_common_flags) \
 		    -Crelocation-model=static \
 		    -Zfunction-sections=n \
 		    -Wclippy::float_arithmetic
+KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS_OPTION_CHKS :=
 
 KBUILD_AFLAGS_KERNEL :=
 KBUILD_CFLAGS_KERNEL :=
@@ -643,7 +644,7 @@ export KBUILD_USERCFLAGS KBUILD_USERLDFLAGS
 
 export KBUILD_CPPFLAGS NOSTDINC_FLAGS LINUXINCLUDE OBJCOPYFLAGS KBUILD_LDFLAGS
 export KBUILD_CFLAGS CFLAGS_KERNEL CFLAGS_MODULE
-export KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS RUSTFLAGS_KERNEL RUSTFLAGS_MODULE
+export KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS RUSTFLAGS_KERNEL RUSTFLAGS_MODULE KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS_OPTION_CHKS
 export KBUILD_AFLAGS AFLAGS_KERNEL AFLAGS_MODULE
 export KBUILD_AFLAGS_MODULE KBUILD_CFLAGS_MODULE KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS_MODULE KBUILD_LDFLAGS_MODULE
 export KBUILD_AFLAGS_KERNEL KBUILD_CFLAGS_KERNEL KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS_KERNEL
diff --git a/arch/x86/Makefile b/arch/x86/Makefile
index 46fec0b08487..1d526a5d2a83 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/Makefile
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ KBUILD_CFLAGS += -mno-sse -mno-mmx -mno-sse2 -mno-3dnow -mno-avx -mno-sse4a
 KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS += --target=$(objtree)/scripts/target.json
 KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS += -Ctarget-feature=-sse,-sse2,-sse3,-ssse3,-sse4.1,-sse4.2,-avx,-avx2
 
+# The target.json file is not available when invoking rustc-option, so use the
+# built-in target when checking whether flags are supported instead.
+KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS_OPTION_CHKS += --target=x86_64-unknown-none
+
 #
 # CFLAGS for compiling floating point code inside the kernel.
 #
diff --git a/arch/x86/Makefile.um b/arch/x86/Makefile.um
index 19c13afa474e..9adecd65639f 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Makefile.um
+++ b/arch/x86/Makefile.um
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ endif
 
 KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS += --target=$(objtree)/scripts/target.json
 
+# The target.json file is not available when invoking rustc-option, so use the
+# built-in target when checking whether flags are supported instead.
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_X86_32),y)
+KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS_OPTION_CHKS += --target=i686-unknown-linux-gnu
+else
+KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS_OPTION_CHKS += --target=x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_X86_32),y)
 START := 0x8048000
 
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.compiler b/scripts/Makefile.compiler
index ef91910de265..06bbe29c846c 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.compiler
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.compiler
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ ld-option = $(call try-run, $(LD) $(KBUILD_LDFLAGS) $(1) -v,$(1),$(2),$(3))
 # TODO: remove RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1 when we raise the minimum GNU Make version to 4.4
 __rustc-option = $(call try-run,\
 	echo '$(pound)![allow(missing_docs)]$(pound)![feature(no_core)]$(pound)![no_core]' | RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1\
-	$(1) --sysroot=/dev/null $(filter-out --sysroot=/dev/null --target=%,$(2)) $(3)\
+	$(1) --sysroot=/dev/null $(KBUILD_RUSTFLAGS_OPTION_CHKS) $(filter-out --sysroot=/dev/null --target=%target.json,$(2)) $(3)\
 	--crate-type=rlib --out-dir=$(TMPOUT) --emit=obj=- - >/dev/null,$(3),$(4))
 
 # rustc-option