diff --git a/kmod/core/core.c b/kmod/core/core.c
index 2b09c84..7fbcae0 100644
--- a/kmod/core/core.c
+++ b/kmod/core/core.c
@@ -526,11 +526,15 @@ static int kpatch_write_relocations(struct kpatch_module *kpmod,
 		} else {
 			/* module, dynrela->src needs to be discovered */
 
-			src = kpatch_find_module_symbol(object->mod,
-							dynrela->name);
+			if (dynrela->exported)
+				src = (unsigned long)__symbol_get(dynrela->name);
+			else
+				src = kpatch_find_module_symbol(object->mod,
+								dynrela->name);
+
 			if (!src) {
-				pr_err("unable to find symbol '%s' in module '%s'\n",
-				       dynrela->name, object->name);
+				pr_err("unable to find symbol '%s'\n",
+				       dynrela->name);
 				return -EINVAL;
 			}
 
@@ -538,6 +542,8 @@ static int kpatch_write_relocations(struct kpatch_module *kpmod,
 		}
 
 		switch (dynrela->type) {
+			case R_X86_64_NONE:
+				continue;
 			case R_X86_64_PC32:
 				loc = dynrela->dest;
 				val = (u32)(dynrela->src + dynrela->addend -
@@ -592,6 +598,7 @@ static int kpatch_write_relocations(struct kpatch_module *kpmod,
 static int kpatch_unlink_object(struct kpatch_object *object)
 {
 	struct kpatch_func *func;
+	struct kpatch_dynrela *dynrela;
 	int ret;
 
 	list_for_each_entry(func, &object->funcs, list) {
@@ -605,6 +612,10 @@ static int kpatch_unlink_object(struct kpatch_object *object)
 		}
 	}
 
+	list_for_each_entry(dynrela, &object->dynrelas, list)
+		if (dynrela->src && dynrela->exported)
+			__symbol_put(dynrela->name);
+
 	if (object->mod)
 		module_put(object->mod);
 
diff --git a/kmod/core/kpatch.h b/kmod/core/kpatch.h
index 3f5a639..db15392 100644
--- a/kmod/core/kpatch.h
+++ b/kmod/core/kpatch.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ struct kpatch_dynrela {
 	const char *name;
 	const char *objname;
 	int addend;
+	bool exported;
 	struct list_head list;
 };
 
diff --git a/kmod/patch/kpatch-patch-hook.c b/kmod/patch/kpatch-patch-hook.c
index 60400d7..bd2627a 100644
--- a/kmod/patch/kpatch-patch-hook.c
+++ b/kmod/patch/kpatch-patch-hook.c
@@ -287,6 +287,7 @@ static int patch_make_dynrelas_list(struct list_head *objects)
 		dynrela->type = p_dynrela->type;
 		dynrela->name = p_dynrela->name;
 		dynrela->objname = p_dynrela->objname;
+		dynrela->exported = p_dynrela->exported;
 		dynrela->addend = p_dynrela->addend;
 		list_add_tail(&dynrela->list, &object->dynrelas);
 	}
diff --git a/kmod/patch/kpatch-patch.h b/kmod/patch/kpatch-patch.h
index 0a73c17..b93618d 100644
--- a/kmod/patch/kpatch-patch.h
+++ b/kmod/patch/kpatch-patch.h
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
  * Contains the structs used for the patch module special sections
  */
 
+#ifndef __KERNEL__
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#endif
+
 struct kpatch_patch_func {
 	unsigned long new_addr;
 	unsigned long new_size;
@@ -34,5 +38,6 @@ struct kpatch_patch_dynrela {
 	unsigned long type;
 	char *name;
 	char *objname;
+	bool exported;
 	int addend;
 };
diff --git a/kpatch-build/create-diff-object.c b/kpatch-build/create-diff-object.c
index 99c528a..ca76a85 100644
--- a/kpatch-build/create-diff-object.c
+++ b/kpatch-build/create-diff-object.c
@@ -1654,6 +1654,9 @@ void kpatch_create_dynamic_rela_sections(struct kpatch_elf *kelf,
 	struct symbol *strsym;
 	struct lookup_result result;
 	struct kpatch_patch_dynrela *dynrelas;
+	bool vmlinux, exported;
+
+	vmlinux = !strcmp(objname, "vmlinux");
 
 	/* count rela entries that need to be dynamic */
 	nr = 0;
@@ -1726,48 +1729,55 @@ void kpatch_create_dynamic_rela_sections(struct kpatch_elf *kelf,
 		list_for_each_entry_safe(rela, safe, &sec2->relas, list) {
 			if (rela->sym->sec)
 				continue;
+
+			exported = false;
+
 			if (rela->sym->bind == STB_LOCAL) {
 				/* An unchanged local symbol */
 				if (lookup_local_symbol(table, rela->sym->name,
 				                        hint, &result))
 					ERROR("lookup_local_symbol %s (%s) needed for %s",
 			               rela->sym->name, hint, sec2->base->name);
+			}
+			else if (vmlinux) {
+				/*
+				 * We have a patch to vmlinux which references
+				 * a global symbol.  Use a normal rela for
+				 * exported symbols and a dynrela otherwise.
+				 */
+				if (lookup_is_exported_symbol(table, rela->sym->name))
+					continue;
+				if (lookup_global_symbol(table, rela->sym->name,
+							 &result))
+					ERROR("lookup_global_symbol failed for %s, needed for %s\n",
+					      rela->sym->name,
+					      sec2->base->name);
 			} else {
 				/*
-				 *  Symbol is global, could be an object-level
-				 *  global not defined in this file or exported
-				 *  by another object.
-				 */
-				if (!strcmp(objname, "vmlinux") &&
-				    lookup_is_exported_symbol(table, rela->sym->name))
-					continue;
-
-				 /*
-				 * Try to find global symbol.  If none is
-				 * found, assume it is exported and no dynrela
-				 * is needed.  If the symbol is not exported,
-				 * the final patch module will fail to load.
+				 * We have a patch to a module which references
+				 * a global symbol.  First try to find it in
+				 * the module being patched.
 				 */
 				if (lookup_global_symbol(table, rela->sym->name,
-			                             &result))
+							 &result))
 					/*
-					 * Symbol is not a kernel object
-					 * global. Assume symbol is exported by
-					 * vmlinux or another kernel module.
+					 * Not there, assume it's exported by
+					 * another object.
 					 */
-					continue;
+					exported = true;
 			}
 			log_debug("lookup for %s @ 0x%016lx len %lu\n",
 			          rela->sym->name, result.value, result.size);
 
 			/* dest filed in by rela entry below */
-			if (!strcmp(objname, "vmlinux"))
+			if (vmlinux)
 				dynrelas[index].src = result.value;
 			else
 				/* for modules, src is discovered at runtime */
 				dynrelas[index].src = 0;
 			dynrelas[index].addend = rela->addend;
 			dynrelas[index].type = rela->type;
+			dynrelas[index].exported = exported;
 
 			/* add rela to fill in dest field */
 			ALLOC_LINK(dynrela, &relasec->relas);