diff --git a/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-module-split.bbclass b/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-module-split.bbclass
index 50882c31a7..9467a28208 100644
--- a/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-module-split.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-module-split.bbclass
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ fi
 
 PACKAGE_WRITE_DEPS += "kmod-native depmodwrapper-cross"
 
-do_install:append() {
-	install -d ${D}${sysconfdir}/modules-load.d/ ${D}${sysconfdir}/modprobe.d/
-}
-
 KERNEL_SPLIT_MODULES ?= "1"
 PACKAGESPLITFUNCS =+ "split_kernel_module_packages"
 
@@ -102,7 +98,9 @@ python split_kernel_module_packages () {
         if autoload and basename not in autoloadlist:
             bb.warn("module_autoload_%s is defined but '%s' isn't included in KERNEL_MODULE_AUTOLOAD, please add it there" % (basename, basename))
         if basename in autoloadlist:
-            name = '%s/etc/modules-load.d/%s.conf' % (dvar, basename)
+            conf = '/etc/modules-load.d/%s.conf' % basename
+            name = '%s%s' % (dvar, conf)
+            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(name), exist_ok=True)
             f = open(name, 'w')
             if autoload:
                 for m in autoload.split():
@@ -110,6 +108,9 @@ python split_kernel_module_packages () {
             else:
                 f.write('%s\n' % basename)
             f.close()
+            conf2append = ' %s' % conf
+            d.appendVar('FILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
+            d.appendVar('CONFFILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
             postinst = d.getVar('pkg_postinst:%s' % pkg)
             if not postinst:
                 bb.fatal("pkg_postinst:%s not defined" % pkg)
@@ -120,21 +121,19 @@ python split_kernel_module_packages () {
         modconflist = (d.getVar("KERNEL_MODULE_PROBECONF") or "").split()
         modconf = d.getVar('module_conf_%s' % basename)
         if modconf and basename in modconflist:
-            name = '%s/etc/modprobe.d/%s.conf' % (dvar, basename)
+            conf = '/etc/modprobe.d/%s.conf' % basename
+            name = '%s%s' % (dvar, conf)
+            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(name), exist_ok=True)
             f = open(name, 'w')
             f.write("%s\n" % modconf)
             f.close()
+            conf2append = ' %s' % conf
+            d.appendVar('FILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
+            d.appendVar('CONFFILES:%s' % pkg, conf2append)
+
         elif modconf:
             bb.error("Please ensure module %s is listed in KERNEL_MODULE_PROBECONF since module_conf_%s is set" % (basename, basename))
 
-        files = d.getVar('FILES:%s' % pkg)
-        files = "%s /etc/modules-load.d/%s.conf /etc/modprobe.d/%s.conf" % (files, basename, basename)
-        d.setVar('FILES:%s' % pkg, files)
-
-        conffiles = d.getVar('CONFFILES:%s' % pkg)
-        conffiles = "%s /etc/modules-load.d/%s.conf /etc/modprobe.d/%s.conf" % (conffiles, basename, basename)
-        d.setVar('CONFFILES:%s' % pkg, conffiles)
-
         if "description" in vals:
             old_desc = d.getVar('DESCRIPTION:' + pkg) or ""
             d.setVar('DESCRIPTION:' + pkg, old_desc + "; " + vals["description"])
@@ -184,14 +183,6 @@ python split_kernel_module_packages () {
     modules = do_split_packages(d, root='${nonarch_base_libdir}/modules', file_regex=module_regex, output_pattern=module_pattern, description='%s kernel module', postinst=postinst, postrm=postrm, recursive=True, hook=frob_metadata, extra_depends='%s-%s' % (kernel_package_name, kernel_version))
     if modules:
         d.appendVar('RDEPENDS:' + metapkg, ' '+' '.join(modules))
-
-    # If modules-load.d and modprobe.d are empty at this point, remove them to
-    # avoid warnings. removedirs only raises an OSError if an empty
-    # directory cannot be removed.
-    dvar = d.getVar('PKGD')
-    for dir in ["%s/etc/modprobe.d" % (dvar), "%s/etc/modules-load.d" % (dvar), "%s/etc" % (dvar)]:
-        if len(os.listdir(dir)) == 0:
-            os.rmdir(dir)
 }
 
 do_package[vardeps] += '${@" ".join(map(lambda s: "module_conf_" + s, (d.getVar("KERNEL_MODULE_PROBECONF") or "").split()))}'