diff --git a/package/rtai/Config.in b/package/rtai/Config.in
index ecbff38d47..14b1854837 100644
--- a/package/rtai/Config.in
+++ b/package/rtai/Config.in
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_RTAI
 	bool "rtai"
 	depends on BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_EXT_RTAI
+	select BR2_LINUX_NEEDS_MODULES # not using kernel-module infra
 	help
 	  RTAI - the RealTime Application Interface for Linux.
 
diff --git a/package/rtai/rtai.mk b/package/rtai/rtai.mk
index 6e803a6ade..dfd8e0c190 100644
--- a/package/rtai/rtai.mk
+++ b/package/rtai/rtai.mk
@@ -18,12 +18,6 @@ RTAI_POST_INSTALL_STAGING_HOOKS += RTAI_POST_PATCH_FIXUP
 
 RTAI_DEPENDENCIES = linux
 
-# We're building a kernel module without using the kernel-module infra,
-# so we need to tell we want module support in the kernel
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_RTAI),y)
-LINUX_NEEDS_MODULES = y
-endif
-
 RTAI_CONF_OPTS = \
 	--includedir=/usr/include/rtai \
 	--with-linux-dir=$(LINUX_DIR) 	\