diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1f35aca4fe05..f23516980796 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1363,7 +1363,7 @@ CLEAN_DIRS  += $(MODVERDIR) include/ksym
 CLEAN_FILES += modules.builtin.modinfo
 
 # Directories & files removed with 'make mrproper'
-MRPROPER_DIRS  += include/config usr/include include/generated          \
+MRPROPER_DIRS  += include/config include/generated          \
 		  arch/$(SRCARCH)/include/generated .tmp_objdiff
 MRPROPER_FILES += .config .config.old .version \
 		  Module.symvers tags TAGS cscope* GPATH GTAGS GRTAGS GSYMS \
diff --git a/init/Kconfig b/init/Kconfig
index 2e9813daa2c1..74192de8ada6 100644
--- a/init/Kconfig
+++ b/init/Kconfig
@@ -108,6 +108,16 @@ config HEADER_TEST
 	  If you are a developer or tester and want to ensure the requested
 	  headers are self-contained, say Y here. Otherwise, choose N.
 
+config UAPI_HEADER_TEST
+	bool "Compile test UAPI headers"
+	depends on HEADER_TEST && HEADERS_INSTALL && CC_CAN_LINK
+	help
+	  Compile test headers exported to user-space to ensure they are
+	  self-contained, i.e. compilable as standalone units.
+
+	  If you are a developer or tester and want to ensure the exported
+	  headers are self-contained, say Y here. Otherwise, choose N.
+
 config LOCALVERSION
 	string "Local version - append to kernel release"
 	help
diff --git a/usr/.gitignore b/usr/.gitignore
index 8e48117a3f3d..be5eae1df7eb 100644
--- a/usr/.gitignore
+++ b/usr/.gitignore
@@ -7,4 +7,3 @@ initramfs_data.cpio.gz
 initramfs_data.cpio.bz2
 initramfs_data.cpio.lzma
 initramfs_list
-include
diff --git a/usr/Makefile b/usr/Makefile
index 4a70ae43c9cb..6a89eb019275 100644
--- a/usr/Makefile
+++ b/usr/Makefile
@@ -56,3 +56,5 @@ $(deps_initramfs): klibcdirs
 $(obj)/$(datafile_y): $(obj)/gen_init_cpio $(deps_initramfs) klibcdirs
 	$(Q)$(initramfs) -l $(ramfs-input) > $(obj)/$(datafile_d_y)
 	$(call if_changed,initfs)
+
+subdir-$(CONFIG_UAPI_HEADER_TEST) += include
diff --git a/usr/include/.gitignore b/usr/include/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a0991ff4402b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usr/include/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+*
+!.gitignore
+!Makefile
diff --git a/usr/include/Makefile b/usr/include/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0f9f92c6016a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usr/include/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+
+# Unlike the kernel space, exported headers are written in standard C.
+#  - Forbid C++ style comments
+#  - Use '__inline__', '__asm__' instead of 'inline', 'asm'
+#
+# -std=c90 (equivalent to -ansi) catches the violation of those.
+# We cannot go as far as adding -Wpedantic since it emits too many warnings.
+UAPI_CFLAGS := -std=c90 -Wall -Werror=implicit-function-declaration
+
+override c_flags = $(UAPI_CFLAGS) -Wp,-MD,$(depfile) -I$(objtree)/usr/include
+
+# The following are excluded for now because they fail to build.
+#
+# Do not add a new header to the blacklist without legitimate reason.
+# Please consider to fix the header first.
+#
+# Sorted alphabetically.
+header-test- += asm/ipcbuf.h
+header-test- += asm/msgbuf.h
+header-test- += asm/sembuf.h
+header-test- += asm/shmbuf.h
+header-test- += asm/signal.h
+header-test- += asm/ucontext.h
+header-test- += drm/vmwgfx_drm.h
+header-test- += linux/am437x-vpfe.h
+header-test- += linux/android/binder.h
+header-test- += linux/android/binderfs.h
+header-test-$(CONFIG_CPU_BIG_ENDIAN) += linux/byteorder/big_endian.h
+header-test-$(CONFIG_CPU_LITTLE_ENDIAN) += linux/byteorder/little_endian.h
+header-test- += linux/coda.h
+header-test- += linux/coda_psdev.h
+header-test- += linux/dvb/audio.h
+header-test- += linux/dvb/osd.h
+header-test- += linux/elfcore.h
+header-test- += linux/errqueue.h
+header-test- += linux/fsmap.h
+header-test- += linux/hdlc/ioctl.h
+header-test- += linux/ivtv.h
+header-test- += linux/jffs2.h
+header-test- += linux/kexec.h
+header-test- += linux/matroxfb.h
+header-test- += linux/netfilter_bridge/ebtables.h
+header-test- += linux/netfilter_ipv4/ipt_LOG.h
+header-test- += linux/netfilter_ipv6/ip6t_LOG.h
+header-test- += linux/nfc.h
+header-test- += linux/nilfs2_ondisk.h
+header-test- += linux/omap3isp.h
+header-test- += linux/omapfb.h
+header-test- += linux/patchkey.h
+header-test- += linux/phonet.h
+header-test- += linux/reiserfs_xattr.h
+header-test- += linux/scc.h
+header-test- += linux/sctp.h
+header-test- += linux/signal.h
+header-test- += linux/sysctl.h
+header-test- += linux/usb/audio.h
+header-test- += linux/v4l2-mediabus.h
+header-test- += linux/v4l2-subdev.h
+header-test- += linux/videodev2.h
+header-test- += linux/vm_sockets.h
+header-test- += misc/ocxl.h
+header-test- += mtd/mtd-abi.h
+header-test- += scsi/scsi_bsg_fc.h
+header-test- += scsi/scsi_netlink.h
+header-test- += scsi/scsi_netlink_fc.h
+header-test- += sound/asequencer.h
+header-test- += sound/asoc.h
+header-test- += sound/asound.h
+header-test- += sound/compress_offload.h
+header-test- += sound/emu10k1.h
+header-test- += sound/sfnt_info.h
+header-test- += sound/sof/eq.h
+header-test- += sound/sof/fw.h
+header-test- += sound/sof/header.h
+header-test- += sound/sof/manifest.h
+header-test- += sound/sof/trace.h
+header-test- += xen/evtchn.h
+header-test- += xen/gntdev.h
+header-test- += xen/privcmd.h
+
+# More headers are broken in some architectures
+
+ifeq ($(SRCARCH),arc)
+header-test- += linux/bpf_perf_event.h
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(SRCARCH),ia64)
+header-test- += asm/setup.h
+header-test- += asm/sigcontext.h
+header-test- += asm/perfmon.h
+header-test- += asm/perfmon_default_smpl.h
+header-test- += linux/if_bonding.h
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(SRCARCH),mips)
+header-test- += asm/stat.h
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(SRCARCH),powerpc)
+header-test- += asm/stat.h
+header-test- += linux/bpf_perf_event.h
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(SRCARCH),riscv)
+header-test- += linux/bpf_perf_event.h
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(SRCARCH),s390)
+header-test- += asm/runtime_instr.h
+header-test- += asm/zcrypt.h
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(SRCARCH),sparc)
+header-test- += asm/stat.h
+header-test- += asm/uctx.h
+header-test- += asm/fbio.h
+header-test- += asm/openpromio.h
+endif
+
+# asm-generic/*.h is used by asm/*.h, and should not be included directly
+header-test- += asm-generic/%
+
+# The rest are compile-tested
+header-test-y += $(filter-out $(header-test-), \
+			$(patsubst $(obj)/%,%, $(wildcard \
+			$(addprefix $(obj)/, *.h */*.h */*/*.h */*/*/*.h))))
+
+# For GNU Make <= 4.2.1, $(wildcard $(obj)/*/) matches to not only directories
+# but also regular files. Use $(filter %/, ...) just in case.
+clean-dirs += $(patsubst $(obj)/%/,%,$(filter %/, $(wildcard $(obj)/*/)))
