diff --git a/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-module-split.bbclass b/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-module-split.bbclass
index 9487365eb7..6da3cb7fc7 100644
--- a/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-module-split.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-module-split.bbclass
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ python split_kernel_module_packages () {
             bb.warn("module_autoload_%s was replaced by KERNEL_MODULE_AUTOLOAD for cases where basename == module name, please drop it" % basename)
         if autoload and basename not in autoloadlist:
             bb.warn("module_autoload_%s is defined but '%s' isn't included in KERNEL_MODULE_AUTOLOAD, please add it there" % (basename, basename))
+        conf = '%s/%s.conf' % (d.getVar('modulesloaddir'), basename)
+        name = '%s%s' % (dvar, conf)
         if basename in autoloadlist:
-            conf = '%s/%s.conf' % (d.getVar('modulesloaddir'), basename)
-            name = '%s%s' % (dvar, conf)
             os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(name), exist_ok=True)
             with open(name, 'w') as f:
                 if autoload:
@@ -109,31 +109,34 @@ python split_kernel_module_packages () {
                         f.write('%s\n' % m)
                 else:
                     f.write('%s\n' % basename)
-            conf2append = ' %s' % conf
-            d.appendVar('FILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
-            d.appendVar('CONFFILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
             postinst = d.getVar('pkg_postinst:%s' % pkg)
             if not postinst:
                 bb.fatal("pkg_postinst:%s not defined" % pkg)
             postinst += d.getVar('autoload_postinst_fragment') % (autoload or basename)
             d.setVar('pkg_postinst:%s' % pkg, postinst)
 
+        if os.path.exists(name):
+            conf2append = ' %s' % conf
+            d.appendVar('FILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
+            d.appendVar('CONFFILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
+
         # Write out any modconf fragment
         modconflist = (d.getVar("KERNEL_MODULE_PROBECONF") or "").split()
         modconf = d.getVar('module_conf_%s' % basename)
+        conf = '%s/%s.conf' % (d.getVar('modprobedir'), basename)
+        name = '%s%s' % (dvar, conf)
         if modconf and basename in modconflist:
-            conf = '%s/%s.conf' % (d.getVar('modprobedir'), basename)
-            name = '%s%s' % (dvar, conf)
             os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(name), exist_ok=True)
             with open(name, 'w') as f:
                 f.write("%s\n" % modconf)
-            conf2append = ' %s' % conf
-            d.appendVar('FILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
-            d.appendVar('CONFFILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
-
         elif modconf:
             bb.error("Please ensure module %s is listed in KERNEL_MODULE_PROBECONF since module_conf_%s is set" % (basename, basename))
 
+        if os.path.exists(name):
+            conf2append = ' %s' % conf
+            d.appendVar('FILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
+            d.appendVar('CONFFILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
+
         if "description" in vals:
             old_desc = d.getVar('DESCRIPTION:' + pkg) or ""
             d.setVar('DESCRIPTION:' + pkg, old_desc + "; " + vals["description"])