diff --git a/kernel/gcov/Kconfig b/kernel/gcov/Kconfig
index 04f4ebdc3cf5..c95d93189ecc 100644
--- a/kernel/gcov/Kconfig
+++ b/kernel/gcov/Kconfig
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ config GCOV_KERNEL
 config ARCH_HAS_GCOV_PROFILE_ALL
 	def_bool n
 
+config GCOV_PROFILE_DIRS
+	string "Directories to enable gcov profiling"
+	depends on GCOV_KERNEL
+
 config GCOV_PROFILE_ALL
 	bool "Profile entire Kernel"
 	depends on !COMPILE_TEST
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.lib b/scripts/Makefile.lib
index 1a965fe68e01..5d80f784b922 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.lib
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.lib
@@ -147,8 +147,12 @@ _cpp_flags     = $(KBUILD_CPPFLAGS) $(cppflags-y) $(CPPFLAGS_$(target-stem).lds)
 # (in this order)
 #
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_GCOV_KERNEL),y)
+ifneq ($(filter $(obj),$(CONFIG_GCOV_PROFILE_DIRS)),)
+export GCOV_PROFILE_SUBDIR := y
+endif
+
 _c_flags += $(if $(patsubst n%,, \
-		$(GCOV_PROFILE_$(basetarget).o)$(GCOV_PROFILE)$(CONFIG_GCOV_PROFILE_ALL)), \
+		$(GCOV_PROFILE_$(basetarget).o)$(GCOV_PROFILE)$(GCOV_PROFILE_SUBDIR)$(CONFIG_GCOV_PROFILE_ALL)), \
 		$(CFLAGS_GCOV))
 endif