diff --git a/machine.go b/machine.go
index 4ad9064..2bdd318 100644
--- a/machine.go
+++ b/machine.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package fakemachine
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -352,10 +353,33 @@ func (m *Machine) writerKernelModules(w *writerhelper.WriterHelper) error {
 		"modules.builtin.bin",
 		"modules.devname"}
 
+	usrpath := "/lib/modules"
+	if mergedUsrSystem() {
+		usrpath = "/usr/lib/modules"
+	}
+
+	// build a list of built-in modules so that we don’t attempt to copy them
+	var builtinModules = make(map[string]bool)
+
+	f, err := os.Open(path.Join(usrpath, kernelRelease, "modules.builtin"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(f)
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		module := scanner.Text()
+		builtinModules[module] = true
+	}
+
+	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	for _, v := range modules {
-		usrpath := "/lib/modules"
-		if mergedUsrSystem() {
-			usrpath = "/usr/lib/modules"
+		if builtinModules[v] {
+			continue
 		}
 		if err := w.CopyFile(path.Join(usrpath, kernelRelease, v)); err != nil {
 			return err