diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h
index 99fbce2c1c7c..86632468f02c 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/nospec-branch.h
@@ -195,7 +195,12 @@
 	_ASM_PTR " 999b\n\t"					\
 	".popsection\n\t"
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_RETHUNK
 extern void __x86_return_thunk(void);
+#else
+static inline void __x86_return_thunk(void) {}
+#endif
+
 extern void zen_untrain_ret(void);
 extern void srso_untrain_ret(void);
 extern void srso_untrain_ret_alias(void);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
index d31639e3ce28..9c04690ead17 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/bugs.c
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(x86_pred_cmd);
 
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(spec_ctrl_mutex);
 
+void (*x86_return_thunk)(void) __ro_after_init = &__x86_return_thunk;
+
 /* Update SPEC_CTRL MSR and its cached copy unconditionally */
 static void update_spec_ctrl(u64 val)
 {