diff --git a/include/asm-generic/ioctl.h b/include/asm-generic/ioctl.h
index 864181385579..15828b2d663c 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/ioctl.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/ioctl.h
@@ -68,12 +68,16 @@
 	 ((nr)   << _IOC_NRSHIFT) | \
 	 ((size) << _IOC_SIZESHIFT))
 
+#ifdef __KERNEL__
 /* provoke compile error for invalid uses of size argument */
 extern unsigned int __invalid_size_argument_for_IOC;
 #define _IOC_TYPECHECK(t) \
 	((sizeof(t) == sizeof(t[1]) && \
 	  sizeof(t) < (1 << _IOC_SIZEBITS)) ? \
 	  sizeof(t) : __invalid_size_argument_for_IOC)
+#else
+#define _IOC_TYPECHECK(t) (sizeof(t))
+#endif
 
 /* used to create numbers */
 #define _IO(type,nr)		_IOC(_IOC_NONE,(type),(nr),0)