diff --git a/package/openblas/Config.in b/package/openblas/Config.in
index 3f658c862a..0144e93a3f 100644
--- a/package/openblas/Config.in
+++ b/package/openblas/Config.in
@@ -73,4 +73,25 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENBLAS_TARGET
 	string "OpenBLAS target CPU"
 	default BR2_PACKAGE_OPENBLAS_DEFAULT_TARGET
 
+config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENBLAS_USE_THREAD
+	bool "use multithreading"
+	default y
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+	depends on !BR2_STATIC_LIBS
+	help
+	  Tell OpenBLAS to use multithreading, by passing USE_THREAD=1.
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENBLAS_USE_LOCKING
+	bool "use locking"
+	default y
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+	depends on !BR2_PACKAGE_OPENBLAS_USE_THREAD
+	help
+	  Tell OpenBLAS to use locking, by passing USE_LOCKING=1.
+	  Locking is implicitly enabled when USE_THREAD=1.
+	  However, if USE_THREAD=0 (i.e. OpenBLAS itself will run in
+	  single-threaded mode) but an application makes OpenBLAS
+	  function calls from multiple threads, then locking is
+	  mandatory for correct operation.
+
 endif
diff --git a/package/openblas/openblas.mk b/package/openblas/openblas.mk
index 9701df9148..21d05cf30d 100644
--- a/package/openblas/openblas.mk
+++ b/package/openblas/openblas.mk
@@ -25,12 +25,19 @@ OPENBLAS_MAKE_OPTS += ONLY_CBLAS=1
 endif
 
 # Enable/Disable multi-threading (not for static-only since it uses dlfcn.h)
-ifeq ($(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS):$(BR2_STATIC_LIBS),y:)
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_OPENBLAS_USE_THREAD),y)
 OPENBLAS_MAKE_OPTS += USE_THREAD=1
 else
 OPENBLAS_MAKE_OPTS += USE_THREAD=0
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_OPENBLAS_USE_LOCKING),y)
+OPENBLAS_MAKE_OPTS += USE_LOCKING=1
+else
+# not passing USE_LOCKING=0 as this could be confusing: its effect is implicit
+# in case of USE_THREAD=1.
+endif
+
 # We don't know if OpenMP is available or not, so disable
 OPENBLAS_MAKE_OPTS += USE_OPENMP=0