diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index ee76ca38a..b098f1772 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ PROG=	kernel
 SRCS=	mpx.S
 SRCS+=	start.c table.c main.c proc.c \
 	system.c clock.c utility.c debug.c interrupt.c \
-	watchdog.c cpulocals.c
+	cpulocals.c
 
 .ifdef CONFIG_SMP
 SRCS += smp.c
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ MAN=
 .include "system/Makefile.inc"
 .include "arch/${ARCH}/Makefile.inc"
 
+.if ${USE_WATCHDOG} != "no"
+SRCS+= watchdog.c arch_watchdog.c
+CPPFLAGS+= -DUSE_WATCHDOG
+.endif
+
 # These come last, so the profiling buffer is at the end of the data segment
 SRCS+= profile.c do_sprofile.c
 
diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/Makefile.inc b/kernel/arch/i386/Makefile.inc
index 5e6972e3e..f64341bbe 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/Makefile.inc
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/Makefile.inc
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ SRCS+=	arch_do_vmctl.c \
 	arch_system.c \
 	apic.c \
 	apic_asm.S \
-	arch_watchdog.c \
 	pre_init.c \
 	acpi.c
 
diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/apic.c b/kernel/arch/i386/apic.c
index 01eb9e2bd..a7f921818 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/apic.c
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/apic.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "acpi.h"
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifdef USE_WATCHDOG
 #include "kernel/watchdog.h"
 #endif
 
diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/memory.c b/kernel/arch/i386/memory.c
index 66beddfef..fd49ff270 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/memory.c
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/memory.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_APIC
 #include "apic.h"
-#ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifdef USE_WATCHDOG
 #include "kernel/watchdog.h"
 #endif
 #endif
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ PUBLIC int arch_enable_paging(struct proc * caller, const message * m_ptr)
 #endif
 #endif
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifdef USE_WATCHDOG
 	/*
 	 * We make sure that we don't enable the watchdog until paging is turned
 	 * on as we might get an NMI while switching and we might still use wrong
diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/mpx.S b/kernel/arch/i386/mpx.S
index deab7175b..c5cccea38 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/mpx.S
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/mpx.S
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ LABEL(single_step_exception)
 	EXCEPTION_NO_ERR_CODE(DEBUG_VECTOR)
 
 LABEL(nmi)
-#ifndef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifndef USE_WATCHDOG
 	EXCEPTION_NO_ERR_CODE(NMI_VECTOR)
 #else
 	/*
diff --git a/kernel/clock.c b/kernel/clock.c
index 4f2b3464c..cb41aed29 100644
--- a/kernel/clock.c
+++ b/kernel/clock.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 #include "clock.h"
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifdef USE_WATCHDOG
 #include "watchdog.h"
 #endif
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ PUBLIC int timer_int_handler(void)
 	struct proc * p, * billp;
 
 	/* FIXME watchdog for slave cpus! */
-#ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifdef USE_WATCHDOG
 	/*
 	 * we need to know whether local timer ticks are happening or whether
 	 * the kernel is locked up. We don't care about overflows as we only
diff --git a/kernel/kernel.h b/kernel/kernel.h
index 0e1e62192..030f60860 100644
--- a/kernel/kernel.h
+++ b/kernel/kernel.h
@@ -7,11 +7,6 @@
 #endif
 /* boot verbose */
 #define CONFIG_BOOT_VERBOSE
-/*
- * compile in the nmi watchdog by default. It is not enabled until watchdog=1
- * (non-zero) is set in monitor
- */
-#define CONFIG_WATCHDOG
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_MAX_CPUS
 #define CONFIG_MAX_CPUS	1
diff --git a/kernel/main.c b/kernel/main.c
index e7d767e96..8eed78dc8 100644
--- a/kernel/main.c
+++ b/kernel/main.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
 #include "smp.h"
 #endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifdef USE_WATCHDOG
 #include "watchdog.h"
 #endif
 #include "spinlock.h"
diff --git a/kernel/start.c b/kernel/start.c
index 3c73c23d9..8b2e0eb3a 100644
--- a/kernel/start.c
+++ b/kernel/start.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "proto.h"
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifdef USE_WATCHDOG
 #include "watchdog.h"
 #endif
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ PUBLIC void cstart(
 	config_apic_timer_x = 1;
 #endif
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_WATCHDOG
+#ifdef USE_WATCHDOG
   value = env_get("watchdog");
   if (value)
 	  watchdog_enabled = atoi(value);
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index 55814d340..46a1928c7 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -756,6 +756,9 @@ _MKVARS.yes= \
 	MKSHARE MKSKEY MKSTATICLIB \
 	MKX11FONTS \
 	MKYP
+#MINIX-specific vars
+_MKVARS.yes+= \
+	MKWATCHDOG
 .for var in ${_MKVARS.yes}
 ${var}?=	yes
 .endfor
@@ -813,6 +816,11 @@ MKMAN:=		no
 MKNLS:=		no
 .endif
 
+# MINIX
+.if ${MKEMBED} == "yes"
+MKWATCHDOG:=	no
+.endif
+
 #
 # install(1) parameters.
 #
@@ -871,7 +879,8 @@ ${var}?= no
 # USE_* options which default to "yes" unless their corresponding MK*
 # variable is set to "no".
 #
-.for var in USE_HESIOD USE_INET6 USE_KERBEROS USE_LDAP USE_PAM USE_YP
+.for var in USE_HESIOD USE_INET6 USE_KERBEROS USE_LDAP USE_PAM USE_YP \
+USE_WATCHDOG
 .if (${${var:S/USE_/MK/}} == "no")
 ${var}:= no
 .else
diff --git a/share/mk/sys.mk b/share/mk/sys.mk
index e0aa8e7c4..a2c32966f 100644
--- a/share/mk/sys.mk
+++ b/share/mk/sys.mk
@@ -236,12 +236,6 @@ AR?=	aal
 .elif !empty(CC:M*gcc) || !empty(CC:M*clang) || !empty(CC:M*pcc)
 COMPILER_TYPE=gnu
 AR?=	ar
-
-.if defined(MKEMBED) && ${MKEMBED} == "yes"
-DBG=	-Os
-CFLAGS+= -DNDEBUG=1
-.endif
-
 .endif
 
 # Set NBSD_LIBC to either "yes" or "no".
@@ -250,3 +244,8 @@ NBSD_LIBC=	no
 .else
 NBSD_LIBC=	yes
 .endif
+
+.if ${COMPILER_TYPE} == "gnu" && defined(MKEMBED) && ${MKEMBED} == "yes"
+DBG=	-Os
+CFLAGS+= -DNDEBUG=1
+.endif