diff --git a/arch/mips/Kconfig b/arch/mips/Kconfig
index 6595928..40367b5 100644
--- a/arch/mips/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/mips/Kconfig
@@ -1853,21 +1853,6 @@ source "fs/Kconfig.binfmt"
 config TRAD_SIGNALS
 	bool
 
-config BUILD_ELF64
-	bool "Use 64-bit ELF format for building"
-	depends on 64BIT
-	help
-	  A 64-bit kernel is usually built using the 64-bit ELF binary object
-	  format as it's one that allows arbitrary 64-bit constructs.  For
-	  kernels that are loaded within the KSEG compatibility segments the
-	  32-bit ELF format can optionally be used resulting in a somewhat
-	  smaller binary, but this option is not explicitly supported by the
-	  toolchain and since binutils 2.14 it does not even work at all.
-
-	  Say Y to use the 64-bit format or N to use the 32-bit one.
-
-	  If unsure say Y.
-
 config BINFMT_IRIX
 	bool "Include IRIX binary compatibility"
 	depends on CPU_BIG_ENDIAN && 32BIT && BROKEN
diff --git a/arch/mips/Makefile b/arch/mips/Makefile
index 32c1c8f..ce7e02e 100644
--- a/arch/mips/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/Makefile
@@ -60,11 +60,6 @@ vmlinux-32		= vmlinux.32
 vmlinux-64		= vmlinux
 
 cflags-y		+= -mabi=64
-ifdef CONFIG_BUILD_ELF64
-cflags-y		+= $(call cc-option,-mno-explicit-relocs)
-else
-cflags-y		+= $(call cc-option,-msym32)
-endif
 endif
 
 all-$(CONFIG_BOOT_ELF32)	:= $(vmlinux-32)
@@ -578,6 +573,24 @@ else
 JIFFIES			= jiffies_64
 endif
 
+#
+# Automatically detect the build format. By default we choose
+# the elf format according to the load address.
+# We can always force a build with a 64-bits symbol format by
+# passing 'KBUILD_SYM32=no' option to the make's command line.
+#
+ifdef CONFIG_64BIT
+  ifndef KBUILD_SYM32
+    ifeq ($(shell expr $(load-y) \< 0xffffffff80000000), 0)
+      KBUILD_SYM32 = y
+    endif
+  endif
+
+  ifeq ($(KBUILD_SYM32), y)
+    cflags-y += -msym32 -DKBUILD_64BIT_SYM32
+  endif
+endif
+
 AFLAGS		+= $(cflags-y)
 CFLAGS		+= $(cflags-y) \
 			-D"VMLINUX_LOAD_ADDRESS=$(load-y)"
diff --git a/include/asm-mips/page.h b/include/asm-mips/page.h
index b92dd8c..c90fe56 100644
--- a/include/asm-mips/page.h
+++ b/include/asm-mips/page.h
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ typedef struct { unsigned long pgprot; } pgprot_t;
 /*
  * __pa()/__va() should be used only during mem init.
  */
-#if defined(CONFIG_64BIT) && !defined(CONFIG_BUILD_ELF64)
+#ifdef KBUILD_64BIT_SYM32
 #define __pa(x)								\
 ({									\
     unsigned long __x = (unsigned long)(x);				\
diff --git a/include/asm-mips/pgtable-64.h b/include/asm-mips/pgtable-64.h
index 49f5a1a..a8aed9c 100644
--- a/include/asm-mips/pgtable-64.h
+++ b/include/asm-mips/pgtable-64.h
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
 #define VMALLOC_START		MAP_BASE
 #define VMALLOC_END	\
 	(VMALLOC_START + PTRS_PER_PGD * PTRS_PER_PMD * PTRS_PER_PTE * PAGE_SIZE)
-#if defined(CONFIG_MODULES) && !defined(CONFIG_BUILD_ELF64) && \
+#if defined(CONFIG_MODULES) && defined(KBUILD_64BIT_SYM32) && \
 	VMALLOC_START != CKSSEG
 /* Load modules into 32bit-compatible segment. */
 #define MODULE_START	CKSSEG
diff --git a/include/asm-mips/stackframe.h b/include/asm-mips/stackframe.h
index ed33366..59334f5 100644
--- a/include/asm-mips/stackframe.h
+++ b/include/asm-mips/stackframe.h
@@ -91,14 +91,14 @@
 #else
 		MFC0	k0, CP0_CONTEXT
 #endif
-#if defined(CONFIG_BUILD_ELF64) || (defined(CONFIG_64BIT) && __GNUC__ < 4)
+#if defined(CONFIG_32BIT) || defined(KBUILD_64BIT_SYM32)
+		lui	k1, %hi(kernelsp)
+#else
 		lui	k1, %highest(kernelsp)
 		daddiu	k1, %higher(kernelsp)
 		dsll	k1, 16
 		daddiu	k1, %hi(kernelsp)
 		dsll	k1, 16
-#else
-		lui	k1, %hi(kernelsp)
 #endif
 		LONG_SRL	k0, PTEBASE_SHIFT
 		LONG_ADDU	k1, k0
@@ -116,14 +116,14 @@
 		.endm
 #else
 		.macro	get_saved_sp	/* Uniprocessor variation */
-#if defined(CONFIG_BUILD_ELF64) || (defined(CONFIG_64BIT) && __GNUC__ < 4)
+#if defined(CONFIG_32BIT) || defined(KBUILD_64BIT_SYM32)
+		lui	k1, %hi(kernelsp)
+#else
 		lui	k1, %highest(kernelsp)
 		daddiu	k1, %higher(kernelsp)
 		dsll	k1, k1, 16
 		daddiu	k1, %hi(kernelsp)
 		dsll	k1, k1, 16
-#else
-		lui	k1, %hi(kernelsp)
 #endif
 		LONG_L	k1, %lo(kernelsp)(k1)
 		.endm