diff --git a/tensorflow/BUILD b/tensorflow/BUILD
index a04ddf9f8a1927..4a048456b44b80 100644
--- a/tensorflow/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/BUILD
@@ -444,11 +444,10 @@ load(
 
 filegroup(
     name = "intel_binary_blob",
-    data = if_mkl_ml(
-        [
-            "//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob",
-        ],
-    ),
+    # XXX: always link to MKL binary blob
+    data = [
+        "//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob",
+    ],
 )
 
 cc_library(
diff --git a/tensorflow/core/kernels/BUILD b/tensorflow/core/kernels/BUILD
index b195d06b334f9d..f76c4dff49e79e 100644
--- a/tensorflow/core/kernels/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/core/kernels/BUILD
@@ -3514,9 +3514,10 @@ tf_kernel_library(
     # <prefix>*impl.h are excluded by default from the CPU build, add explicitly.
     hdrs = ["batch_matmul_op_impl.h"],
     prefix = "batch_matmul_op",
-    deps = MATH_DEPS + [":eigen_contraction_kernel"] + if_mkl_ml([
+    deps = MATH_DEPS + [":eigen_contraction_kernel"] + [
+        # XXX: always link to MKL binary blob
         "//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob",
-    ]),
+    ]
 )
 
 tf_kernel_library(
diff --git a/tensorflow/core/platform/default/build_config.bzl b/tensorflow/core/platform/default/build_config.bzl
index ba7fccdd6fdb7d..f65e188e3bd76d 100644
--- a/tensorflow/core/platform/default/build_config.bzl
+++ b/tensorflow/core/platform/default/build_config.bzl
@@ -784,11 +784,10 @@ def tf_additional_binary_deps():
         # core).
         "//tensorflow/core/kernels:lookup_util",
         "//tensorflow/core/util/tensor_bundle",
-    ] + if_mkl_ml(
-        [
-            "//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob",
-        ],
-    )
+    ] + [
+        # XXX: always link to MKL binary blob
+        "//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob",
+        ]
 
 def tf_additional_numa_deps():
     return select({
diff --git a/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl b/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
index 98e2cf100bdcab..9cf92a83202148 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
+++ b/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
@@ -597,11 +597,9 @@ def tf_cc_binary(
             name = name_os,
             copts = copts,
             srcs = srcs + tf_binary_additional_srcs(),
-            deps = deps + tf_binary_dynamic_kernel_deps(kernels) + if_mkl_ml(
-                [
-                    clean_dep("//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob"),
-                ],
-            ),
+            deps = deps + tf_binary_dynamic_kernel_deps(kernels) +
+                # XXX: always link to MKL binary blob
+                [clean_dep("//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob")],
             data = depset(data + added_data_deps),
             linkopts = linkopts + _rpath_linkopts(name_os),
             visibility = visibility,
@@ -956,11 +954,9 @@ def tf_cc_test(
                 "-lm",
             ],
         }) + linkopts + _rpath_linkopts(name),
-        deps = deps + tf_binary_dynamic_kernel_deps(kernels) + if_mkl_ml(
-            [
-                clean_dep("//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob"),
-            ],
-        ),
+        deps = deps + tf_binary_dynamic_kernel_deps(kernels) +
+            # XXX: always link to MKL binary blob
+            [clean_dep("//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob")],
         data = data +
                tf_binary_dynamic_kernel_dsos() +
                tf_binary_additional_srcs(),
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/BUILD b/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/BUILD
index 457ec631919283..466a54489dbd8c 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/BUILD
@@ -271,7 +271,9 @@ sh_binary(
                "//conditions:default": [
                    ":simple_console",
                ],
-           }) + if_mkl_ml(["//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob"]),
+           }) +
+           # XXX: always link to MKL binary blob
+           [ "//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob"],
 )
 
 # A genrule for generating a marker file for the pip package on Windows
diff --git a/third_party/mkl/build_defs.bzl b/third_party/mkl/build_defs.bzl
index 10c2d90c84816b..9a204badeea51c 100644
--- a/third_party/mkl/build_defs.bzl
+++ b/third_party/mkl/build_defs.bzl
@@ -106,7 +106,14 @@ def mkl_deps():
       inclusion in the deps attribute of rules.
     """
     return select({
-        str(Label("//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_with_mkl_dnn_only")): ["@mkl_dnn"],
+        # XXX: Temporary change: link to binary MKL unless TF threading is
+        # enabled. Rationale: the binary blob contains libiomp5 -- the Intel
+        # Compiler OpenMP runtime -- that can be used in place of libgomp
+        # which is slow.
+        str(Label("//third_party/mkl_dnn:build_with_mkl_dnn_only")): [
+            "//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob",
+            "@mkl_dnn",
+        ],
         str(Label("//third_party/mkl:build_with_mkl_ml_only")): ["//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob"],
         str(Label("//third_party/mkl:build_with_mkl")): [
             "//third_party/mkl:intel_binary_blob",