diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig-language.rst b/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig-language.rst
index 226ae072da7d..3cbccfc42798 100644
--- a/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig-language.rst
+++ b/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig-language.rst
@@ -229,11 +229,6 @@ applicable everywhere (see syntax).
   which can modify the behaviour of the menu entry and its config
   symbol. These options are currently possible:
 
-  - "defconfig_list"
-    This declares a list of default entries which can be used when
-    looking for the default configuration (which is used when the main
-    .config doesn't exists yet.)
-
   - "modules"
     This declares the symbol to be used as the MODULES symbol, which
     enables the third modular state for all config symbols.
diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.rst b/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.rst
index dce6801d66c9..5967c79c3baa 100644
--- a/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.rst
+++ b/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.rst
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ KCONFIG_CONFIG
 This environment variable can be used to specify a default kernel config
 file name to override the default name of ".config".
 
+KCONFIG_DEFCONFIG_LIST
+----------------------
+
+This environment variable specifies a list of config files which can be used
+as a base configuration in case the .config does not exist yet. Entries in
+the list are separated with whitespaces to each other, and the first one
+that exists is used.
+
 KCONFIG_OVERWRITECONFIG
 -----------------------
 If you set KCONFIG_OVERWRITECONFIG in the environment, Kconfig will not
diff --git a/init/Kconfig b/init/Kconfig
index 22946fe5ded9..46b87ad73f6a 100644
--- a/init/Kconfig
+++ b/init/Kconfig
@@ -1,13 +1,4 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
-config DEFCONFIG_LIST
-	string
-	depends on !UML
-	option defconfig_list
-	default "/lib/modules/$(shell,uname -r)/.config"
-	default "/etc/kernel-config"
-	default "/boot/config-$(shell,uname -r)"
-	default "arch/$(SRCARCH)/configs/$(KBUILD_DEFCONFIG)"
-
 config CC_VERSION_TEXT
 	string
 	default "$(CC_VERSION_TEXT)"
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
index 8c19b82c6035..31c5735663c8 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ ifeq ($(quiet),silent_)
 silent := -s
 endif
 
+export KCONFIG_DEFCONFIG_LIST :=
+ifneq ($(SRCARCH),um)
+kernel-release := $(shell uname -r)
+KCONFIG_DEFCONFIG_LIST := \
+	/lib/modules/$(kernel-release)/.config \
+	/etc/kernel-config \
+	/boot/config-$(kernel-release) \
+	arch/$(SRCARCH)/configs/$(KBUILD_DEFCONFIG)
+endif
+
 # We need this, in case the user has it in its environment
 unexport CONFIG_
 
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/confdata.c b/scripts/kconfig/confdata.c
index 198f70957fbf..f3998d5ddd02 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/confdata.c
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/confdata.c
@@ -360,28 +360,46 @@ int conf_read_simple(const char *name, int def)
 	if (name) {
 		in = zconf_fopen(name);
 	} else {
-		struct property *prop;
+		char *env;
 
 		name = conf_get_configname();
 		in = zconf_fopen(name);
 		if (in)
 			goto load;
 		sym_add_change_count(1);
-		if (!sym_defconfig_list)
+
+		env = getenv("KCONFIG_DEFCONFIG_LIST");
+		if (!env)
 			return 1;
 
-		for_all_defaults(sym_defconfig_list, prop) {
-			if (expr_calc_value(prop->visible.expr) == no ||
-			    prop->expr->type != E_SYMBOL)
-				continue;
-			sym_calc_value(prop->expr->left.sym);
-			name = sym_get_string_value(prop->expr->left.sym);
-			in = zconf_fopen(name);
+		while (1) {
+			bool is_last;
+
+			while (isspace(*env))
+				env++;
+
+			if (!*env)
+				break;
+
+			p = env;
+			while (*p && !isspace(*p))
+				p++;
+
+			is_last = (*p == '\0');
+
+			*p = '\0';
+
+			in = zconf_fopen(env);
 			if (in) {
 				conf_message("using defaults found in %s",
-					 name);
+					     env);
 				goto load;
 			}
+
+			if (is_last)
+				break;
+
+			env = p + 1;
 		}
 	}
 	if (!in)
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/expr.h b/scripts/kconfig/expr.h
index bbca80a0dc24..dc17152b1f14 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/expr.h
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/expr.h
@@ -287,7 +287,6 @@ struct file *lookup_file(const char *name);
 
 extern struct symbol symbol_yes, symbol_no, symbol_mod;
 extern struct symbol *modules_sym;
-extern struct symbol *sym_defconfig_list;
 extern int cdebug;
 struct expr *expr_alloc_symbol(struct symbol *sym);
 struct expr *expr_alloc_one(enum expr_type type, struct expr *ce);
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/lexer.l b/scripts/kconfig/lexer.l
index 9c22cb554673..e918950f94a6 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/lexer.l
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/lexer.l
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ n	[A-Za-z0-9_-]
 "def_bool"		return T_DEF_BOOL;
 "def_tristate"		return T_DEF_TRISTATE;
 "default"		return T_DEFAULT;
-"defconfig_list"	return T_DEFCONFIG_LIST;
 "depends"		return T_DEPENDS;
 "endchoice"		return T_ENDCHOICE;
 "endif"			return T_ENDIF;
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/lkc.h b/scripts/kconfig/lkc.h
index d0d5acecb530..8d89a6275197 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/lkc.h
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/lkc.h
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ struct property *menu_add_prompt(enum prop_type type, char *prompt, struct expr
 void menu_add_expr(enum prop_type type, struct expr *expr, struct expr *dep);
 void menu_add_symbol(enum prop_type type, struct symbol *sym, struct expr *dep);
 void menu_add_option_modules(void);
-void menu_add_option_defconfig_list(void);
 void menu_add_option_allnoconfig_y(void);
 void menu_finalize(struct menu *parent);
 void menu_set_type(int type);
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/menu.c b/scripts/kconfig/menu.c
index a5fbd6ccc006..5dcfc173da41 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/menu.c
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/menu.c
@@ -219,15 +219,6 @@ void menu_add_option_modules(void)
 	modules_sym = current_entry->sym;
 }
 
-void menu_add_option_defconfig_list(void)
-{
-	if (!sym_defconfig_list)
-		sym_defconfig_list = current_entry->sym;
-	else if (sym_defconfig_list != current_entry->sym)
-		zconf_error("trying to redefine defconfig symbol");
-	sym_defconfig_list->flags |= SYMBOL_NO_WRITE;
-}
-
 void menu_add_option_allnoconfig_y(void)
 {
 	current_entry->sym->flags |= SYMBOL_ALLNOCONFIG_Y;
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/parser.y b/scripts/kconfig/parser.y
index 190f1117f35a..f11d8382e9e6 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/parser.y
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/parser.y
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ static struct menu *current_menu, *current_entry;
 %token T_COMMENT
 %token T_CONFIG
 %token T_DEFAULT
-%token T_DEFCONFIG_LIST
 %token T_DEF_BOOL
 %token T_DEF_TRISTATE
 %token T_DEPENDS
@@ -223,11 +222,6 @@ config_option: T_OPTION T_MODULES T_EOL
 	menu_add_option_modules();
 };
 
-config_option: T_OPTION T_DEFCONFIG_LIST T_EOL
-{
-	menu_add_option_defconfig_list();
-};
-
 config_option: T_OPTION T_ALLNOCONFIG_Y T_EOL
 {
 	menu_add_option_allnoconfig_y();
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/symbol.c b/scripts/kconfig/symbol.c
index fe38e6fd2c2a..36b0fcb18117 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/symbol.c
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/symbol.c
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ static struct symbol symbol_empty = {
 	.flags = SYMBOL_VALID,
 };
 
-struct symbol *sym_defconfig_list;
 struct symbol *modules_sym;
 static tristate modules_val;
 
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/tests/conftest.py b/scripts/kconfig/tests/conftest.py
index 0345ef6e3273..af8774a5697c 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/tests/conftest.py
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ class Conf:
         # Override 'srctree' environment to make the test as the top directory
         extra_env['srctree'] = self._test_dir
 
+        # Clear KCONFIG_DEFCONFIG_LIST to keep unit tests from being affected
+        # by the user's environment.
+        extra_env['KCONFIG_DEFCONFIG_LIST'] = ''
+
         # Run Kconfig in a temporary directory.
         # This directory is automatically removed when done.
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
