diff --git a/kernel/reboot.c b/kernel/reboot.c
index 395a0ea3c7a8..c3a3b82c4f64 100644
--- a/kernel/reboot.c
+++ b/kernel/reboot.c
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ struct sys_off_handler {
 	struct device *dev;
 };
 
+/*
+ * This variable is used to indicate if a halt was initiated instead of a
+ * reboot when the reboot call was invoked with LINUX_REBOOT_CMD_POWER_OFF, but
+ * the system cannot be powered off. This allowes kernel_halt() to notify users
+ * of that.
+ */
+static bool poweroff_fallback_to_halt;
+
 /*
  * Temporary stub that prevents linkage failure while we're in process
  * of removing all uses of legacy pm_power_off() around the kernel.
@@ -297,7 +305,10 @@ void kernel_halt(void)
 	kernel_shutdown_prepare(SYSTEM_HALT);
 	migrate_to_reboot_cpu();
 	syscore_shutdown();
-	pr_emerg("System halted\n");
+	if (poweroff_fallback_to_halt)
+		pr_emerg("Power off not available: System halted instead\n");
+	else
+		pr_emerg("System halted\n");
 	kmsg_dump(KMSG_DUMP_SHUTDOWN);
 	machine_halt();
 }
@@ -732,8 +743,10 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE4(reboot, int, magic1, int, magic2, unsigned int, cmd,
 	/* Instead of trying to make the power_off code look like
 	 * halt when pm_power_off is not set do it the easy way.
 	 */
-	if ((cmd == LINUX_REBOOT_CMD_POWER_OFF) && !kernel_can_power_off())
+	if ((cmd == LINUX_REBOOT_CMD_POWER_OFF) && !kernel_can_power_off()) {
+		poweroff_fallback_to_halt = true;
 		cmd = LINUX_REBOOT_CMD_HALT;
+	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&system_transition_mutex);
 	switch (cmd) {