diff --git a/package/wpa_supplicant/Config.in b/package/wpa_supplicant/Config.in
index 8f095cdf2d..f2b0754ee1 100644
--- a/package/wpa_supplicant/Config.in
+++ b/package/wpa_supplicant/Config.in
@@ -41,12 +41,17 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_WEXT
 
 config BR2_PACKAGE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_WIRED
 	bool "Enable wired support"
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS # libnl
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_EAP
 	help
 	  Include the "wired" driver, so the internal IEEE 802.1x
 	  supplicant can be used with Ethernet.  This also enables
 	  support for MACSEC.
 
+comment "wired support needs a toolchain w/ threads"
+	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+
 comment "wpa_supplicant will be useless without at least one driver"
 	depends on !BR2_PACKAGE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_NL80211 && \
 		!BR2_PACKAGE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_WEXT && \
diff --git a/package/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.mk b/package/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.mk
index a2ca8a0b30..8b807fdfbe 100644
--- a/package/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.mk
+++ b/package/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.mk
@@ -63,11 +63,18 @@ WPA_SUPPLICANT_CONFIG_DISABLE += \
 	CONFIG_FILS
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_WIRED),)
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_WIRED),y)
+WPA_SUPPLICANT_DEPENDENCIES += host-pkgconf libnl
+WPA_SUPPLICANT_CONFIG_ENABLE += \
+	CONFIG_LIBNL32 \
+	CONFIG_DRIVER_WIRED \
+	CONFIG_MACSEC \
+	CONFIG_DRIVER_MACSEC_LINUX
+else
 WPA_SUPPLICANT_CONFIG_DISABLE += \
 	CONFIG_DRIVER_WIRED \
 	CONFIG_MACSEC \
-	CONFIG_DRIVER_MACSEC
+	CONFIG_DRIVER_MACSEC_LINUX
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_HOTSPOT),)