diff --git a/builddefs/build_keyboard.mk b/builddefs/build_keyboard.mk
index f0788e55c99..5805c8b102d 100644
--- a/builddefs/build_keyboard.mk
+++ b/builddefs/build_keyboard.mk
@@ -186,7 +186,10 @@ endif
 # Have we found a keymap.json?
 ifneq ("$(wildcard $(KEYMAP_JSON))", "")
     ifneq ("$(wildcard $(KEYMAP_C))", "")
-        $(call WARNING_MESSAGE,Keymap is specified as both keymap.json and keymap.c -- keymap.json file wins.)
+        # Allow a separately-found keymap.c next to keymap.json -- the keymap.c
+        # generator will include the other keymap.c in the process, if supplied.
+        OTHER_KEYMAP_C := $(KEYMAP_C)
+        OPT_DEFS += -DOTHER_KEYMAP_C=\"$(OTHER_KEYMAP_C)\"
     endif
 
     KEYMAP_PATH := $(KEYMAP_JSON_PATH)
diff --git a/data/schemas/keymap.jsonschema b/data/schemas/keymap.jsonschema
index 7233e896e94..e967e45c53e 100644
--- a/data/schemas/keymap.jsonschema
+++ b/data/schemas/keymap.jsonschema
@@ -72,10 +72,5 @@
         "notes": {
             "type": "string"
         }
-    },
-    "required": [
-        "keyboard",
-        "layout",
-        "layers"
-    ]
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/commands.py b/lib/python/qmk/commands.py
index d95ff5f923e..93f008778a3 100644
--- a/lib/python/qmk/commands.py
+++ b/lib/python/qmk/commands.py
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ def parse_configurator_json(configurator_file):
         cli.log.error(f'Invalid JSON keymap: {configurator_file} : {e.message}')
         exit(1)
 
-    keyboard = user_keymap['keyboard']
+    keyboard = None
+    if 'keyboard' in user_keymap:
+        keyboard = user_keymap['keyboard']
     aliases = keyboard_alias_definitions()
 
     while keyboard in aliases:
diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/keymap.py b/lib/python/qmk/keymap.py
index b7bf897377c..a307e8c2d24 100644
--- a/lib/python/qmk/keymap.py
+++ b/lib/python/qmk/keymap.py
@@ -27,40 +27,38 @@ __INCLUDES__
  * edit it directly.
  */
 __KEYCODE_OUTPUT_GOES_HERE__
-
-const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {
 __KEYMAP_GOES_HERE__
-};
-
-#if defined(ENCODER_ENABLE) && defined(ENCODER_MAP_ENABLE)
-const uint16_t PROGMEM encoder_map[][NUM_ENCODERS][NUM_DIRECTIONS] = {
 __ENCODER_MAP_GOES_HERE__
-};
-#endif // defined(ENCODER_ENABLE) && defined(ENCODER_MAP_ENABLE)
-
 __MACRO_OUTPUT_GOES_HERE__
 
+#ifdef OTHER_KEYMAP_C
+#if __has_include_next(OTHER_KEYMAP_C)
+#include_next OTHER_KEYMAP_C
+#endif // __has_include_next(OTHER_KEYMAP_C)
+#endif // OTHER_KEYMAP_C
 """
 
 
 def _generate_keymap_table(keymap_json):
-    lines = []
+    lines = ['const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {']
     for layer_num, layer in enumerate(keymap_json['layers']):
         if layer_num != 0:
             lines[-1] = lines[-1] + ','
         layer = map(_strip_any, layer)
         layer_keys = ', '.join(layer)
         lines.append('\t[%s] = %s(%s)' % (layer_num, keymap_json['layout'], layer_keys))
+    lines.append('};')
     return lines
 
 
 def _generate_encodermap_table(keymap_json):
-    lines = []
+    lines = ['#if defined(ENCODER_ENABLE) && defined(ENCODER_MAP_ENABLE)', 'const uint16_t PROGMEM encoder_map[][NUM_ENCODERS][NUM_DIRECTIONS] = {']
     for layer_num, layer in enumerate(keymap_json['encoders']):
         if layer_num != 0:
             lines[-1] = lines[-1] + ','
         encoder_keycode_txt = ', '.join([f'ENCODER_CCW_CW({_strip_any(e["ccw"])}, {_strip_any(e["cw"])})' for e in layer])
         lines.append('\t[%s] = {%s}' % (layer_num, encoder_keycode_txt))
+    lines.extend(['};', '#endif // defined(ENCODER_ENABLE) && defined(ENCODER_MAP_ENABLE)'])
     return lines
 
 
@@ -329,8 +327,11 @@ def generate_c(keymap_json):
             A sequence of strings containing macros to implement for this keyboard.
     """
     new_keymap = template_c(keymap_json['keyboard'])
-    layer_txt = _generate_keymap_table(keymap_json)
-    keymap = '\n'.join(layer_txt)
+
+    keymap = ''
+    if 'layers' in keymap_json and keymap_json['layers'] is not None:
+        layer_txt = _generate_keymap_table(keymap_json)
+        keymap = '\n'.join(layer_txt)
     new_keymap = new_keymap.replace('__KEYMAP_GOES_HERE__', keymap)
 
     encodermap = ''