diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 09456e0..7802a0f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -92,6 +92,24 @@ BUILD_DIR := $(O)
 endif
 endif
 
+# Call a source code checker (by default, "sparse") as part of the
+# C compilation.
+#
+# Use 'make C=1' to enable checking of re-compiled files.
+#
+# See the linux kernel file "Documentation/sparse.txt" for more details,
+# including where to get the "sparse" utility.
+
+ifdef C
+ifeq ("$(origin C)", "command line")
+CHECKSRC := $(C)
+endif
+endif
+ifndef CHECKSRC
+  CHECKSRC = 0
+endif
+export CHECKSRC
+
 ifneq ($(BUILD_DIR),)
 saved-output := $(BUILD_DIR)
 
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index 51b4783..bb5c69a 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ OBJCOPY = $(CROSS_COMPILE)objcopy
 OBJDUMP = $(CROSS_COMPILE)objdump
 RANLIB	= $(CROSS_COMPILE)RANLIB
 DTC	= dtc
+CHECK	= sparse
 
 #########################################################################
 
@@ -275,6 +276,10 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_SPL_TEXT_BASE),)
 LDFLAGS_u-boot-spl += -Ttext $(CONFIG_SPL_TEXT_BASE)
 endif
 
+# Linus' kernel sanity checking tool
+CHECKFLAGS     := -D__linux__ -Dlinux -D__STDC__ -Dunix -D__unix__ \
+                  -Wbitwise -Wno-return-void -D__CHECK_ENDIAN__ $(CF)
+
 # Location of a usable BFD library, where we define "usable" as
 # "built for ${HOST}, supports ${TARGET}".  Sensible values are
 # - When cross-compiling: the root of the cross-environment
@@ -322,6 +327,9 @@ $(obj)%.s:	%.S
 $(obj)%.o:	%.S
 	$(CC)  $(ALL_AFLAGS) -o $@ $< -c
 $(obj)%.o:	%.c
+ifneq ($(CHECKSRC),0)
+	$(CHECK) $(CHECKFLAGS) $(ALL_CFLAGS) $<
+endif
 	$(CC)  $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $< -c
 $(obj)%.i:	%.c
 	$(CPP) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $< -c