abs_objtree := $(realpath $(abs_objtree))
   BUILD := $(abs_objtree)/kselftest
   KHDR_INCLUDES := -isystem ${abs_objtree}/usr/include
+  KHDR_DIR := ${abs_objtree}/usr/include
 else
   BUILD := $(CURDIR)
   abs_srctree := $(shell cd $(top_srcdir) && pwd)
   KHDR_INCLUDES := -isystem ${abs_srctree}/usr/include
+  KHDR_DIR := ${abs_srctree}/usr/include
   DEFAULT_INSTALL_HDR_PATH := 1
 endif
 
 # all isn't the first target in the file.
 .DEFAULT_GOAL := all
 
-all:
+all: kernel_header_files
        @ret=1;                                                 \
        for TARGET in $(TARGETS); do                            \
                BUILD_TARGET=$$BUILD/$$TARGET;                  \
                ret=$$((ret * $$?));                            \
        done; exit $$ret;
 
+kernel_header_files:
+       @ls $(KHDR_DIR)/linux/*.h >/dev/null 2>/dev/null;                          \
+       if [ $$? -ne 0 ]; then                                                     \
+            RED='\033[1;31m';                                                  \
+            NOCOLOR='\033[0m';                                                 \
+            echo;                                                              \
+            echo -e "$${RED}error$${NOCOLOR}: missing kernel header files.";   \
+            echo "Please run this and try again:";                             \
+            echo;                                                              \
+            echo "    cd $(top_srcdir)";                                       \
+            echo "    make headers";                                           \
+            echo;                                                              \
+           exit 1;                                                                \
+       fi
+
+.PHONY: kernel_header_files
+
 run_tests: all
        @for TARGET in $(TARGETS); do \
                BUILD_TARGET=$$BUILD/$$TARGET;  \
 
 selfdir = $(realpath $(dir $(filter %/lib.mk,$(MAKEFILE_LIST))))
 top_srcdir = $(selfdir)/../../..
 
-ifeq ($(KHDR_INCLUDES),)
-KHDR_INCLUDES := -isystem $(top_srcdir)/usr/include
+ifeq ("$(origin O)", "command line")
+  KBUILD_OUTPUT := $(O)
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(KBUILD_OUTPUT),)
+  # Make's built-in functions such as $(abspath ...), $(realpath ...) cannot
+  # expand a shell special character '~'. We use a somewhat tedious way here.
+  abs_objtree := $(shell cd $(top_srcdir) && mkdir -p $(KBUILD_OUTPUT) && cd $(KBUILD_OUTPUT) && pwd)
+  $(if $(abs_objtree),, \
+    $(error failed to create output directory "$(KBUILD_OUTPUT)"))
+  # $(realpath ...) resolves symlinks
+  abs_objtree := $(realpath $(abs_objtree))
+  KHDR_DIR := ${abs_objtree}/usr/include
+else
+  abs_srctree := $(shell cd $(top_srcdir) && pwd)
+  KHDR_DIR := ${abs_srctree}/usr/include
+endif
+
+KHDR_INCLUDES := -isystem $(KHDR_DIR)
+
 # The following are built by lib.mk common compile rules.
 # TEST_CUSTOM_PROGS should be used by tests that require
 # custom build rule and prevent common build rule use.
 TEST_GEN_PROGS_EXTENDED := $(patsubst %,$(OUTPUT)/%,$(TEST_GEN_PROGS_EXTENDED))
 TEST_GEN_FILES := $(patsubst %,$(OUTPUT)/%,$(TEST_GEN_FILES))
 
-all: $(TEST_GEN_PROGS) $(TEST_GEN_PROGS_EXTENDED) $(TEST_GEN_FILES)
+all: kernel_header_files $(TEST_GEN_PROGS) $(TEST_GEN_PROGS_EXTENDED) \
+     $(TEST_GEN_FILES)
+
+kernel_header_files:
+       @ls $(KHDR_DIR)/linux/*.h >/dev/null 2>/dev/null;                      \
+       if [ $$? -ne 0 ]; then                                                 \
+            RED='\033[1;31m';                                                  \
+            NOCOLOR='\033[0m';                                                 \
+            echo;                                                              \
+            echo -e "$${RED}error$${NOCOLOR}: missing kernel header files.";   \
+            echo "Please run this and try again:";                             \
+            echo;                                                              \
+            echo "    cd $(top_srcdir)";                                       \
+            echo "    make headers";                                           \
+            echo;                                                              \
+           exit 1; \
+       fi
+
+.PHONY: kernel_header_files
 
 define RUN_TESTS
        BASE_DIR="$(selfdir)";                  \