diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-rockchip/Makefile b/arch/arm/mach-rockchip/Makefile
index 6c4954b9e0..ee03940ac0 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-rockchip/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-rockchip/Makefile
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ obj-spl-$(CONFIG_ROCKCHIP_RK3399) += rk3399-board-spl.o spl-boot-order.o
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_SPL_BUILD)$(CONFIG_TPL_BUILD),)
 
-ifneq ($(CONFIG_ROCKCHIP_BOOT_MODE_REG),0)
+# Always include boot_mode.o, as we bypass it (i.e. turn it off)
+# inside of boot_mode.c when CONFIG_BOOT_MODE_REG is 0.  This way,
+# we can have the preprocessor correctly recognise both 0x0 and 0
+# meaning "turn it off".
 obj-y += boot_mode.o
-endif
 
 obj-$(CONFIG_ROCKCHIP_CRC) += rockchip_crc.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_ROCKCHIP_SMCCC) += rockchip_smccc.o
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-rockchip/boot_mode.c b/arch/arm/mach-rockchip/boot_mode.c
index f105f57f1f..b50b17329c 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-rockchip/boot_mode.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-rockchip/boot_mode.c
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@
 
 DECLARE_GLOBAL_DATA_PTR;
 
+#if (CONFIG_ROCKCHIP_BOOT_MODE_REG == 0)
+
+int setup_boot_mode(void)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+#else
+
 void set_back_to_bootrom_dnl_flag(void)
 {
 	writel(BOOT_BROM_DOWNLOAD, CONFIG_ROCKCHIP_BOOT_MODE_REG);
@@ -119,3 +128,5 @@ int setup_boot_mode(void)
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+#endif