diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d0dd777..525f512 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -721,15 +721,17 @@
 export KBUILD_MODSIG := 0
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_MODULE_SIG),y)
-MODSECKEY = ./signing_key.priv
-MODPUBKEY = ./signing_key.x509
-
 # Use 'make MODSIG=1 modules_install' to use ephemeral keys for module signing
 ifeq ("$(origin MODSIG)", "command line")
 KBUILD_MODSIG := $(MODSIG)
+MODSECKEY = ./ephemeral_signing_key.priv
+MODPUBKEY = ./ephemeral_signing_key.x509
+else
+MODSECKEY = ./default_signing_key.priv
+MODPUBKEY = ./default_signing_key.x509
 endif
 
-export MODPUBKEY
+export MODPUBKEY MODSECKEY
 mod_sign_cmd = perl $(srctree)/scripts/sign-file $(MODSECKEY) $(MODPUBKEY)
 else
 mod_sign_cmd = true
@@ -1037,7 +1039,9 @@
                   arch/*/include/generated
 MRPROPER_FILES += .config .config.old .version .old_version $(version_h) \
 		  Module.symvers tags TAGS cscope* GPATH GTAGS GRTAGS GSYMS \
-		  signing_key.priv signing_key.x509 x509.genkey		\
+		  default_signing_key.priv default_signing_key.x509	\
+		  ephemeral_signing_key.priv ephemeral_signing_key.x509 \
+		  signing_key.x509 x509.genkey				\
 		  extra_certificates signing_key.x509.keyid		\
 		  signing_key.x509.signer
 
diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index 86e3285..34107d9 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -139,7 +139,11 @@
 extra_certificates:
 	touch $@
 
-kernel/modsign_pubkey.o: signing_key.x509 extra_certificates
+signing_key.x509: FORCE
+	ln -fs $(MODPUBKEY) $@
+	touch $@
+
+kernel/modsign_pubkey.o: $(MODPUBKEY) signing_key.x509 extra_certificates 
 
 ###############################################################################
 #
@@ -168,7 +172,7 @@
 $(error Could not determine digest type to use from kernel config)
 endif
 
-signing_key.priv signing_key.x509: x509.genkey
+$(MODSECKEY) $(MODPUBKEY): x509.genkey
 	@echo "###"
 	@echo "### Now generating an X.509 key pair to be used for signing modules."
 	@echo "###"
@@ -179,8 +183,8 @@
 	@echo "###"
 	openssl req -new -nodes -utf8 $(sign_key_with_hash) -days 36500 -batch \
 		-x509 -config x509.genkey \
-		-outform DER -out signing_key.x509 \
-		-keyout signing_key.priv
+		-outform DER -out $(MODPUBKEY) \
+		-keyout $(MODSECKEY)
 	@echo "###"
 	@echo "### Key pair generated."
 	@echo "###"