diff --git a/init/Kconfig b/init/Kconfig
index fa79feb8fe57..4e7ae65683ee 100644
--- a/init/Kconfig
+++ b/init/Kconfig
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ config WERROR
 
 config UAPI_HEADER_TEST
 	bool "Compile test UAPI headers"
-	depends on HEADERS_INSTALL && CC_CAN_LINK
+	depends on HEADERS_INSTALL
 	help
 	  Compile test headers exported to user-space to ensure they are
 	  self-contained, i.e. compilable as standalone units.
diff --git a/usr/include/Makefile b/usr/include/Makefile
index fa01bcda21f5..6d86a53c6f0a 100644
--- a/usr/include/Makefile
+++ b/usr/include/Makefile
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ endif
 always-y := $(patsubst $(obj)/%.h,%.hdrtest, $(shell find $(obj) -name '*.h' 2>/dev/null))
 
 target-no-libc = $(filter-out $(uses-libc), $*.h)
-target-can-compile = $(filter-out $(no-header-test), $*.h)
+target-can-compile = $(and $(filter-out $(no-header-test), $*.h), \
+                           $(or $(CONFIG_CC_CAN_LINK), $(target-no-libc)))
 
 # Include the header twice to detect missing include guard.
 quiet_cmd_hdrtest = HDRTEST $<