diff --git a/package/netsniff-ng/Config.in b/package/netsniff-ng/Config.in
index 5d1407baac..6b043362ba 100644
--- a/package/netsniff-ng/Config.in
+++ b/package/netsniff-ng/Config.in
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_NETSNIFF_NG
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HEADERS_AT_LEAST_3_0
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_LIBURCU_ARCH_SUPPORTS
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBPCAP
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNETFILTER_CONNTRACK
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBURCU
diff --git a/package/netsniff-ng/netsniff-ng.mk b/package/netsniff-ng/netsniff-ng.mk
index 27bd707c84..3bc11b55b9 100644
--- a/package/netsniff-ng/netsniff-ng.mk
+++ b/package/netsniff-ng/netsniff-ng.mk
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ NETSNIFF_NG_LICENSE_FILES = README COPYING
 NETSNIFF_NG_CONF_ENV = \
 	NACL_INC_DIR=/dev/null \
 	NACL_LIB_DIR=/dev/null
-NETSNIFF_NG_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf libnl libpcap libnetfilter_conntrack liburcu
+NETSNIFF_NG_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf libpcap libnetfilter_conntrack liburcu
+NETSNIFF_NG_CONF_OPTS = --prefix=$(TARGET_DIR)/usr
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_NETSNIFF_NG_MAUSEZAHN),y)
 NETSNIFF_NG_DEPENDENCIES += libcli libnet
@@ -28,6 +29,12 @@ ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_GEOIP),y)
 NETSNIFF_NG_DEPENDENCIES += geoip
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL),y)
+NETSNIFF_NG_DEPENDENCIES += libnl
+else
+NETSNIFF_NG_CONF_OPTS += --disable-libnl
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES),y)
 NETSNIFF_NG_DEPENDENCIES += ncurses
 endif
@@ -43,7 +50,7 @@ define NETSNIFF_NG_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 		$(TARGET_CONFIGURE_ARGS) \
 		$(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) \
 		./configure \
-		--prefix=$(TARGET_DIR)/usr \
+		$(NETSNIFF_NG_CONF_OPTS) \
 	)
 endef