diff --git a/man/kernel-install.xml b/man/kernel-install.xml
index 0bf3dfd5596..ddcc2184ac4 100644
--- a/man/kernel-install.xml
+++ b/man/kernel-install.xml
@@ -185,10 +185,29 @@
           <xi:include href="version-info.xml" xpointer="v251"/>
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
-
     </variablelist>
   </refsect1>
 
+  <refsect1>
+    <title>Compatibility with the kernel build system</title>
+
+    <cmdsynopsis>
+      <command>installkernel</command>
+      <arg choice="opt" rep="repeat">OPTIONS</arg>
+      <arg choice="plain">VERSION</arg>
+      <arg choice="plain">VMLINUZ</arg>
+      <arg choice="opt">MAP</arg>
+      <arg choice="opt">INSTALLATION-DIR</arg>
+    </cmdsynopsis>
+
+    <para>When invoked as <command>installkernel</command>, this program accepts arguments as specified by
+    the kernel build system's <command>make install</command> command. The <parameter>VERSION</parameter> and
+    <parameter>VMLINUZ</parameter> parameters specify the kernel version and the kernel binary. The other two
+    parameters (<parameter>MAP</parameter> and <parameter>INSTALLATION-DIR</parameter>) are currently
+    ignored.
+    </para>
+  </refsect1>
+
   <refsect1>
     <title>The <varname>$BOOT</varname> partition</title>
 
diff --git a/src/kernel-install/kernel-install.c b/src/kernel-install/kernel-install.c
index abd6e2fdce1..b72e2ac79a0 100644
--- a/src/kernel-install/kernel-install.c
+++ b/src/kernel-install/kernel-install.c
@@ -1127,10 +1127,11 @@ static int help(void) {
         printf("%1$s [OPTIONS...] COMMAND ...\n\n"
                "%2$sAdd and remove kernel and initrd images to and from /boot%3$s\n"
                "\nUsage:\n"
-               "  %1$s [OPTIONS...] add KERNEL-VERSION KERNEL-IMAGE [INITRD-FILE...]\n"
-               "  %1$s [OPTIONS...] remove KERNEL-VERSION\n"
-               "  %1$s [OPTIONS...] inspect [KERNEL-IMAGE]\n"
-               "\nOptions:\n"
+               "  kernel-install [OPTIONS...] add KERNEL-VERSION KERNEL-IMAGE [INITRD-FILE...]\n"
+               "  kernel-install [OPTIONS...] remove KERNEL-VERSION\n"
+               "  kernel-install [OPTIONS...] inspect [KERNEL-IMAGE]\n"
+               "\n"
+               "Options:\n"
                "  -h --help              Show this help\n"
                "     --version           Show package version\n"
                "  -v --verbose           Increase verbosity\n"
@@ -1140,7 +1141,12 @@ static int help(void) {
                "                         Create $BOOT/ENTRY-TOKEN/ directory\n"
                "     --entry-token=machine-id|os-id|os-image-id|auto|literal:…\n"
                "                         Entry token to use for this installation\n"
-               "\nSee the %4$s for details.\n",
+               "\n"
+               "This program may also be invoked as 'installkernel':\n"
+               "  installkernel  [OPTIONS...] VERSION VMLINUZ [MAP] [INSTALLATION-DIR]\n"
+               "(The optional arguments are passed by kernel build system, but ignored.)\n"
+               "\n"
+               "See the %4$s for details.\n",
                program_invocation_short_name,
                ansi_highlight(),
                ansi_normal(),
diff --git a/src/shared/exec-util.c b/src/shared/exec-util.c
index 735334719ba..5da613bc17c 100644
--- a/src/shared/exec-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/exec-util.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "env-file.h"
 #include "env-util.h"
 #include "errno-util.h"
+#include "escape.h"
 #include "exec-util.h"
 #include "fd-util.h"
 #include "fileio.h"
@@ -138,6 +139,14 @@ static int do_execute(
                                 return log_error_errno(fd, "Failed to open serialization file: %m");
                 }
 
+                if (DEBUG_LOGGING) {
+                        _cleanup_free_ char *args = NULL;
+                        if (argv)
+                                args = quote_command_line(strv_skip(argv, 1), SHELL_ESCAPE_EMPTY);
+
+                        log_debug("About to execute %s%s%s", t, argv ? " " : "", argv ? strnull(args) : "");
+                }
+
                 r = do_spawn(t, argv, fd, &pid, FLAGS_SET(flags, EXEC_DIR_SET_SYSTEMD_EXEC_PID));
                 if (r <= 0)
                         continue;