diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8f2bede1353..e76811762c8 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ feat_acl = ["cp/feat_acl"]
 # "feat_selinux" == enable support for SELinux Security Context (by using `--features feat_selinux`)
 # NOTE:
 # * The selinux(-sys) crate requires `libselinux` headers and shared library to be accessible in the C toolchain at compile time.
-# * Running a uutils compiled with `feat_selinux` requires an SELinux enabled Kernel at run time.
+# * A uutils compiled with `feat_selinux` runs fine on a kernel without SELinux enabled; SELinux-specific
+#   behavior is just skipped at runtime (see `uucore::selinux::is_selinux_enabled`).
 feat_selinux = [
   "cp/selinux",
   "feat_require_selinux",
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ feat_selinux = [
 ]
 # "feat_smack" == enable support for SMACK Security Context (by using `--features feat_smack`)
 # NOTE:
-# * Running a uutils compiled with `feat_smack` requires a SMACK enabled Kernel at run time.
+# * A uutils compiled with `feat_smack` runs fine on a kernel without SMACK enabled; SMACK-specific behavior is just skipped at runtime (see `uucore::smack::is_smack_enabled`).
 feat_smack = [
   "id/smack",
   "ls/smack",
diff --git a/src/uu/mkdir/locales/en-US.ftl b/src/uu/mkdir/locales/en-US.ftl
index 44fd5f5adf3..4ac212ff670 100644
--- a/src/uu/mkdir/locales/en-US.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/mkdir/locales/en-US.ftl
@@ -15,5 +15,8 @@ mkdir-error-file-exists = { $path }: File exists
 mkdir-error-failed-to-create-tree = failed to create whole tree
 mkdir-error-cannot-set-permissions = cannot set permissions { $path }
 
+# Warning messages
+mkdir-warning-context-not-selinux = ignoring --context; it requires an SELinux/SMACK-enabled kernel
+
 # Verbose output
 mkdir-verbose-created-directory = { $util_name }: created directory { $path }
diff --git a/src/uu/mkdir/locales/fr-FR.ftl b/src/uu/mkdir/locales/fr-FR.ftl
index d92bed96520..f8b557cc797 100644
--- a/src/uu/mkdir/locales/fr-FR.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/mkdir/locales/fr-FR.ftl
@@ -15,5 +15,8 @@ mkdir-error-file-exists = { $path } : Le fichier existe
 mkdir-error-failed-to-create-tree = échec de la création de l'arborescence complète
 mkdir-error-cannot-set-permissions = impossible de définir les permissions { $path }
 
+# Messages d'avertissement
+mkdir-warning-context-not-selinux = --context est ignoré ; cela nécessite un noyau avec SELinux/SMACK activé
+
 # Sortie détaillée
 mkdir-verbose-created-directory = { $util_name } : répertoire créé { $path }
diff --git a/src/uu/mkdir/src/mkdir.rs b/src/uu/mkdir/src/mkdir.rs
index ff46ad59556..7bd7024da7f 100644
--- a/src/uu/mkdir/src/mkdir.rs
+++ b/src/uu/mkdir/src/mkdir.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ use uucore::translate;
 
 #[cfg(not(windows))]
 use uucore::mode;
+#[cfg(any(
+    all(feature = "selinux", any(target_os = "android", target_os = "linux")),
+    all(feature = "smack", target_os = "linux")
+))]
+use uucore::show_warning;
 use uucore::{display::Quotable, fs::dir_strip_dot_for_creation};
 use uucore::{format_usage, show_if_err};
 
@@ -321,20 +326,29 @@ fn create_single_dir(path: &Path, is_parent: bool, config: &Config) -> UResult<(
 
             // Apply SELinux context if requested
             #[cfg(all(feature = "selinux", any(target_os = "android", target_os = "linux")))]
-            if config.set_security_context && uucore::selinux::is_selinux_enabled() {
-                if let Err(e) = uucore::selinux::set_selinux_security_context(path, config.context)
-                {
-                    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir(path);
-                    return Err(USimpleError::new(1, e.to_string()));
+            if config.set_security_context {
+                if uucore::selinux::is_selinux_enabled() {
+                    if let Err(e) =
+                        uucore::selinux::set_selinux_security_context(path, config.context)
+                    {
+                        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir(path);
+                        return Err(USimpleError::new(1, e.to_string()));
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    show_warning!("{}", translate!("mkdir-warning-context-not-selinux"));
                 }
             }
 
             // Apply SMACK context if requested
             #[cfg(all(feature = "smack", target_os = "linux"))]
             if config.set_security_context {
-                uucore::smack::set_smack_label_and_cleanup(path, config.context, |p| {
-                    std::fs::remove_dir(p)
-                })?;
+                if uucore::smack::is_smack_enabled() {
+                    uucore::smack::set_smack_label_and_cleanup(path, config.context, |p| {
+                        std::fs::remove_dir(p)
+                    })?;
+                } else {
+                    show_warning!("{}", translate!("mkdir-warning-context-not-selinux"));
+                }
             }
             Ok(())
         }
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_mkdir.rs b/tests/by-util/test_mkdir.rs
index 5df3c778122..cbf7cd7f67a 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_mkdir.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_mkdir.rs
@@ -564,6 +564,54 @@ fn test_selinux() {
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+#[cfg(all(
+    feature = "feat_selinux",
+    any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android")
+))]
+fn test_selinux_context_warns_when_kernel_not_enabled() {
+    // --context should still create the directory on a kernel without
+    // SELinux/SMACK, just with a warning that it had no effect (matches GNU).
+    // On a kernel that does have it enabled, that's test_selinux's job above.
+    if uucore::selinux::is_selinux_enabled() {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+    let dest = "test_dir_context_warning";
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .arg("--context=unconfined_u:object_r:user_tmp_t:s0")
+        .arg(at.plus_as_string(dest))
+        .succeeds()
+        .no_stdout()
+        .stderr_contains("ignoring --context");
+
+    assert!(at.dir_exists(dest));
+}
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(all(feature = "feat_smack", target_os = "linux"))]
+fn test_smack_context_warns_when_kernel_not_enabled() {
+    if uucore::smack::is_smack_enabled() {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+    let dest = "test_dir_smack_context_warning";
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .arg("--context=some-label")
+        .arg(at.plus_as_string(dest))
+        .succeeds()
+        .no_stdout()
+        .stderr_contains("ignoring --context");
+
+    assert!(at.dir_exists(dest));
+}
+
 #[test]
 #[cfg(all(
     feature = "feat_selinux",