diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b589ac43159bb4..2fa2d371c4ab8d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -906,7 +906,7 @@ foreach(zephyr_lib ${ZEPHYR_LIBS_PROPERTY})
   add_dependencies(${zephyr_lib} zephyr_generated_headers)
 endforeach()
 
-if(CONFIG_LLEXT)
+if(CONFIG_KERNEL_WHOLE_ARCHIVE)
   set(WHOLE_ARCHIVE_LIBS ${ZEPHYR_LIBS_PROPERTY} kernel)
 else()
   set(WHOLE_ARCHIVE_LIBS ${ZEPHYR_LIBS_PROPERTY})
diff --git a/kernel/Kconfig b/kernel/Kconfig
index af51267edbf1fc..767c04f94fe47c 100644
--- a/kernel/Kconfig
+++ b/kernel/Kconfig
@@ -1020,6 +1020,12 @@ config THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE
 	help
 	  This option enables thread local storage (TLS) support in kernel.
 
+config KERNEL_WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+	bool
+	help
+	  This option forces every object file in the libkernel.a archive
+	  to be included, rather than searching the archive for required object files.
+
 endmenu
 
 rsource "Kconfig.device"
diff --git a/subsys/llext/Kconfig b/subsys/llext/Kconfig
index c96017c79c9f14..085ef775569591 100644
--- a/subsys/llext/Kconfig
+++ b/subsys/llext/Kconfig
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 menuconfig LLEXT
 	bool "Linkable loadable extensions"
 	select CACHE_MANAGEMENT if DCACHE
+	select KERNEL_WHOLE_ARCHIVE
 	help
 	  Enable the linkable loadable extension subsystem