diff --git a/certs/Makefile b/certs/Makefile
index f4b90bad8690..2baef6fba029 100644
--- a/certs/Makefile
+++ b/certs/Makefile
@@ -46,11 +46,19 @@ endif
 redirect_openssl	= 2>&1
 quiet_redirect_openssl	= 2>&1
 silent_redirect_openssl = 2>/dev/null
+openssl_available       = $(shell openssl help 2>/dev/null && echo yes)
 
 # We do it this way rather than having a boolean option for enabling an
 # external private key, because 'make randconfig' might enable such a
 # boolean option and we unfortunately can't make it depend on !RANDCONFIG.
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_MODULE_SIG_KEY),"certs/signing_key.pem")
+
+ifeq ($(openssl_available),yes)
+X509TEXT=$(shell openssl x509 -in "certs/signing_key.pem" -text 2>/dev/null)
+
+$(if $(findstring rsaEncryption,$(X509TEXT)),,$(shell rm -f "certs/signing_key.pem"))
+endif
+
 $(obj)/signing_key.pem: $(obj)/x509.genkey
 	@$(kecho) "###"
 	@$(kecho) "### Now generating an X.509 key pair to be used for signing modules."