diff --git a/include/linux/dma-mapping.h b/include/linux/dma-mapping.h
index eb9eab4ecd6d..5ea7eec83c0f 100644
--- a/include/linux/dma-mapping.h
+++ b/include/linux/dma-mapping.h
@@ -212,14 +212,14 @@ static inline void set_dma_ops(struct device *dev,
 }
 #else
 /*
- * Define the dma api to allow compilation but not linking of
- * dma dependent code.  Code that depends on the dma-mapping
- * API needs to set 'depends on HAS_DMA' in its Kconfig
+ * Define the dma api to allow compilation of dma dependent code.
+ * Code that depends on the dma-mapping API needs to set 'depends on HAS_DMA'
+ * in its Kconfig, unless it already depends on <something> || COMPILE_TEST,
+ * where <something> guarantuees the availability of the dma-mapping API.
  */
-extern const struct dma_map_ops bad_dma_ops;
 static inline const struct dma_map_ops *get_dma_ops(struct device *dev)
 {
-	return &bad_dma_ops;
+	return NULL;
 }
 #endif