diff --git a/scripts/mod/modpost.c b/scripts/mod/modpost.c
index 584beca14e3f..d493c5c3f965 100644
--- a/scripts/mod/modpost.c
+++ b/scripts/mod/modpost.c
@@ -2645,9 +2645,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 		for (s = symbolhash[n]; s; s = s->next) {
 			if (s->is_static)
-				warn("\"%s\" [%s] is a static %s\n",
-				     s->name, s->module->name,
-				     export_str(s->export));
+				error("\"%s\" [%s] is a static %s\n",
+				      s->name, s->module->name,
+				      export_str(s->export));
 		}
 	}