diff --git a/package/cups/Config.in b/package/cups/Config.in
index 51cf10b073..ad852c0998 100644
--- a/package/cups/Config.in
+++ b/package/cups/Config.in
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_CUPS
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 	# needs fork()
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBXCRYPT if BR2_TOOLCHAIN_USES_GLIBC
 	help
 	  The Common Unix Printing System
 
diff --git a/package/cups/cups.mk b/package/cups/cups.mk
index a5098b50e9..5d474d0fe5 100644
--- a/package/cups/cups.mk
+++ b/package/cups/cups.mk
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ CUPS_CONFIG_SCRIPTS = cups-config
 CUPS_DEPENDENCIES = \
 	host-autoconf \
 	host-pkgconf \
+	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBXCRYPT),libxcrypt) \
 	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB),zlib)
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_SYSTEMD),y)