diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 3da857b2f..8ada7189b 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ linux (3.7.1-1~experimental.2) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   [ Ben Hutchings ]
   * linux-headers-common: Include the include/uapi/asm-generic directory
     (Closes: #696664)
+  * Do not use link-vmlinux.sh when cleaning external modules (Closes: #696775)
 
  -- Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>  Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:05:46 +0100
 
diff --git a/debian/patches/clean-modules-without-link-vmlinux.sh.patch b/debian/patches/clean-modules-without-link-vmlinux.sh.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5bae91e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/clean-modules-without-link-vmlinux.sh.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+From: Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>
+Subject: Clean modules without link-vmlinux.sh
+Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2012 01:51:05 +0100
+Bug-Debian: http://bugs.debian.org/696775
+
+Calling link-vmlinux.sh when cleaning external modules is stupid.
+
+--- a/Makefile
++++ b/Makefile
+@@ -1036,11 +1036,13 @@ clean: rm-dirs  := $(CLEAN_DIRS)
+ clean: rm-files := $(CLEAN_FILES)
+ clean-dirs      := $(addprefix _clean_, . $(vmlinux-alldirs) Documentation samples)
+ 
+-PHONY += $(clean-dirs) clean archclean
++PHONY += $(clean-dirs) clean-vmlinux clean archclean
+ $(clean-dirs):
+ 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(clean)=$(patsubst _clean_%,%,$@)
++clean-vmlinux:
++	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh clean
+ 
+-clean: archclean
++clean: clean-vmlinux archclean
+ 
+ # mrproper - Delete all generated files, including .config
+ #
+@@ -1267,7 +1269,6 @@ scripts: ;
+ endif # KBUILD_EXTMOD
+ 
+ clean: $(clean-dirs)
+-	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/link-vmlinux.sh clean
+ 	$(call cmd,rmdirs)
+ 	$(call cmd,rmfiles)
+ 	@find $(if $(KBUILD_EXTMOD), $(KBUILD_EXTMOD), .) $(RCS_FIND_IGNORE) \
diff --git a/debian/patches/series b/debian/patches/series
index b5f0a16b3..f7798db67 100644
--- a/debian/patches/series
+++ b/debian/patches/series
@@ -68,3 +68,4 @@ bugfix/all/pch_gbe-ptp_pch-Fix-the-dependency-direction-between.patch
 debian/udl-disable-autoload.patch
 debian/ast-disable-autoload.patch
 debian/mgag200-disable-autoload.patch
+clean-modules-without-link-vmlinux.sh.patch