diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.modinst b/scripts/Makefile.modinst
index dda4b2b6192..ecbb44797e2 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.modinst
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.modinst
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ PHONY += $(modules)
 __modinst: $(modules)
 	@:
 
+# Don't stop modules_install if we can't sign external modules.
 quiet_cmd_modules_install = INSTALL $@
-      cmd_modules_install = mkdir -p $(2); cp $@ $(2) ; $(mod_strip_cmd) $(2)/$(notdir $@) ; $(mod_sign_cmd) $(2)/$(notdir $@)
+      cmd_modules_install = mkdir -p $(2); cp $@ $(2) ; $(mod_strip_cmd) $(2)/$(notdir $@) ; $(mod_sign_cmd) $(2)/$(notdir $@) $(patsubst %,|| true,$(KBUILD_EXTMOD))
 
 # Modules built outside the kernel source tree go into extra by default
 INSTALL_MOD_DIR ?= extra