diff --git a/src/arch/i386/core/relocate.c b/src/arch/i386/core/relocate.c
index 081ffe8b..98734535 100644
--- a/src/arch/i386/core/relocate.c
+++ b/src/arch/i386/core/relocate.c
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include "etherboot.h"
 #include "relocate.h"
 
+#ifndef KEEP_IT_REAL
+
 /* by Eric Biederman */
 
 /* On some platforms etherboot is compiled as a shared library, and we use
@@ -191,3 +193,5 @@ void relocate ( void ) {
 		 */
 	}
 }
+
+#endif /* ! KEEP_IT_REAL */
diff --git a/src/arch/i386/include/relocate.h b/src/arch/i386/include/relocate.h
index b2bebd54..4aec54e4 100644
--- a/src/arch/i386/include/relocate.h
+++ b/src/arch/i386/include/relocate.h
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 #ifndef RELOCATE_H
 #define RELOCATE_H
 
+#ifdef KEEP_IT_REAL
+
+/* relocate() is conceptually impossible with KEEP_IT_REAL */
+#define relocate()
+
+#else
+
 extern void relocate ( void );
 
+#endif
+
 #endif /* RELOCATE_H */