diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1932984478c1..6f7328bca9c4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -564,6 +564,16 @@ else
 KBUILD_CFLAGS	+= -O2
 endif
 
+ifdef CONFIG_READABLE_ASM
+# Disable optimizations that make assembler listings hard to read.
+# reorder blocks reorders the control in the function
+# ipa clone creates specialized cloned functions
+# partial inlining inlines only parts of functions
+KBUILD_CFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-fno-reorder-blocks,) \
+                 $(call cc-option,-fno-ipa-cp-clone,) \
+                 $(call cc-option,-fno-partial-inlining)
+endif
+
 include $(srctree)/arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile
 
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_FRAME_WARN),0)
diff --git a/lib/Kconfig.debug b/lib/Kconfig.debug
index 6777153f18f3..4d3cbbbe4516 100644
--- a/lib/Kconfig.debug
+++ b/lib/Kconfig.debug
@@ -70,6 +70,15 @@ config STRIP_ASM_SYMS
 	  that look like '.Lxxx') so they don't pollute the output of
 	  get_wchan() and suchlike.
 
+config READABLE_ASM
+        bool "Generate readable assembler code"
+        depends on DEBUG_KERNEL
+        help
+          Disable some compiler optimizations that tend to generate human unreadable
+          assembler output. This may make the kernel slightly slower, but it helps
+          to keep kernel developers who have to stare a lot at assembler listings
+          sane.
+
 config UNUSED_SYMBOLS
 	bool "Enable unused/obsolete exported symbols"
 	default y if X86