diff --git a/package/python-pycares/Config.in b/package/python-pycares/Config.in
index 889e0943be..e58f922ad3 100644
--- a/package/python-pycares/Config.in
+++ b/package/python-pycares/Config.in
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON_PYCARES
 	bool "python-pycares"
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_C_ARES
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON_CFFI # runtime
 	help
 	  Python interface for c-ares.
diff --git a/package/python-pycares/python-pycares.hash b/package/python-pycares/python-pycares.hash
index 179288f694..c77915987b 100644
--- a/package/python-pycares/python-pycares.hash
+++ b/package/python-pycares/python-pycares.hash
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # md5, sha256 from https://pypi.org/pypi/pycares/json
-md5  230e5133767e84f5d99c93dd07fea611  pycares-4.11.0.tar.gz
-sha256  c863d9003ca0ce7df26429007859afd2a621d3276ed9fef154a9123db9252557  pycares-4.11.0.tar.gz
+md5  577c064ebf4b84fbd53890b4c0f86f5a  pycares-5.0.0.tar.gz
+sha256  62e38a6cce0f3dbfe6dfcccba10526255b3823a2a040b313afef7aa9b039ce03  pycares-5.0.0.tar.gz
 # Locally computed sha256 checksums
 sha256  427bb3a5372024a26e2c290b24382512bcc7ca123431c4dd178dd613beea7eee  LICENSE
diff --git a/package/python-pycares/python-pycares.mk b/package/python-pycares/python-pycares.mk
index 0f42bc591b..0cb1eeda6f 100644
--- a/package/python-pycares/python-pycares.mk
+++ b/package/python-pycares/python-pycares.mk
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@
 #
 ################################################################################
 
-PYTHON_PYCARES_VERSION = 4.11.0
+PYTHON_PYCARES_VERSION = 5.0.0
 PYTHON_PYCARES_SOURCE = pycares-$(PYTHON_PYCARES_VERSION).tar.gz
-PYTHON_PYCARES_SITE = https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/8d/ad/9d1e96486d2eb5a2672c4d9a2dd372d015b8d7a332c6ac2722c4c8e6bbbf
+PYTHON_PYCARES_SITE = https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/59/5d/b50bdc30026f350f1c4b0c4fb6b7543598f2bcc370308c5148c7019d9886
 PYTHON_PYCARES_SETUP_TYPE = setuptools
 PYTHON_PYCARES_LICENSE = MIT
 PYTHON_PYCARES_LICENSE_FILES = LICENSE
-PYTHON_PYCARES_DEPENDENCIES = host-python-cffi
+PYTHON_PYCARES_DEPENDENCIES = c-ares host-python-cffi
+PYTHON_PYCARES_ENV = PYCARES_USE_SYSTEM_LIB=1
 
 $(eval $(python-package))