diff --git a/drivers/input/touchscreen/Kconfig b/drivers/input/touchscreen/Kconfig
index 3d5f19658032..6b46c9bf1d20 100644
--- a/drivers/input/touchscreen/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/input/touchscreen/Kconfig
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ config TOUCHSCREEN_TOUCHWIN
 
 config TOUCHSCREEN_UCB1400
 	tristate "Philips UCB1400 touchscreen"
-	depends on SND_AC97_BUS
+	select AC97_BUS
 	help
 	  This enables support for the Philips UCB1400 touchscreen interface.
 	  The UCB1400 is an AC97 audio codec.  The touchscreen interface
diff --git a/sound/Kconfig b/sound/Kconfig
index 95949b6806ac..9d77300746c6 100644
--- a/sound/Kconfig
+++ b/sound/Kconfig
@@ -93,4 +93,12 @@ endmenu
 
 endif
 
+config AC97_BUS
+	tristate
+	help
+	  This is used to avoid config and link hard dependencies between the
+	  sound subsystem and other function drivers completely unrelated to
+	  sound although they're sharing the AC97 bus. Concerned drivers
+	  should "select" this.
+
 endmenu
diff --git a/sound/Makefile b/sound/Makefile
index 5f6bef57e825..9aee54c4882d 100644
--- a/sound/Makefile
+++ b/sound/Makefile
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_DMASOUND) += oss/
 obj-$(CONFIG_SND) += core/ i2c/ drivers/ isa/ pci/ ppc/ arm/ synth/ usb/ sparc/ parisc/ pcmcia/ mips/
 obj-$(CONFIG_SND_AOA) += aoa/
 
+# This one must be compilable even if sound is configured out
+obj-$(CONFIG_AC97_BUS) += ac97_bus.o
+
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_SND),y)
   obj-y += last.o
 endif
diff --git a/sound/pci/ac97/ac97_bus.c b/sound/ac97_bus.c
similarity index 100%
rename from sound/pci/ac97/ac97_bus.c
rename to sound/ac97_bus.c
diff --git a/sound/drivers/Kconfig b/sound/drivers/Kconfig
index 7971285dfd5b..40ebd2f44056 100644
--- a/sound/drivers/Kconfig
+++ b/sound/drivers/Kconfig
@@ -26,11 +26,7 @@ config SND_VX_LIB
 config SND_AC97_CODEC
 	tristate
 	select SND_PCM
-	select SND_AC97_BUS
-
-config SND_AC97_BUS
-	tristate
-
+	select AC97_BUS
 
 config SND_DUMMY
 	tristate "Dummy (/dev/null) soundcard"
diff --git a/sound/pci/ac97/Makefile b/sound/pci/ac97/Makefile
index 77b3482cb133..3c3222122d8b 100644
--- a/sound/pci/ac97/Makefile
+++ b/sound/pci/ac97/Makefile
@@ -10,11 +10,9 @@ snd-ac97-codec-objs += ac97_proc.o
 endif
 
 snd-ak4531-codec-objs := ak4531_codec.o
-snd-ac97-bus-objs := ac97_bus.o
 
 # Toplevel Module Dependency
 obj-$(CONFIG_SND_AC97_CODEC) += snd-ac97-codec.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_SND_ENS1370) += snd-ak4531-codec.o
-obj-$(CONFIG_SND_AC97_BUS) += snd-ac97-bus.o
 
 obj-m := $(sort $(obj-m))