diff --git a/package/libxml2/libxml2.mk b/package/libxml2/libxml2.mk
index 9f7774f719..672a2cb0f0 100644
--- a/package/libxml2/libxml2.mk
+++ b/package/libxml2/libxml2.mk
@@ -20,12 +20,26 @@ ifeq ($(BR2_m68k_cf),y)
 LIBXML2_CONF_ENV += CFLAGS="$(TARGET_CFLAGS) -mxgot"
 endif
 
-LIBXML2_CONF_OPTS = --with-gnu-ld --without-python --without-debug
+LIBXML2_CONF_OPTS = --with-gnu-ld --without-debug
 
 HOST_LIBXML2_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf
 LIBXML2_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf
 
-HOST_LIBXML2_CONF_OPTS = --without-zlib --without-lzma --without-python
+HOST_LIBXML2_CONF_OPTS = --without-zlib --without-lzma
+
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON3),y)
+LIBXML2_DEPENDENCIES += python3
+LIBXML2_CONF_OPTS += --with-python
+else
+LIBXML2_CONF_OPTS += --without-python
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_PYTHON3),y)
+HOST_LIBXML2_DEPENDENCIES += host-python3
+HOST_LIBXML2_CONF_OPTS += --with-python
+else
+HOST_LIBXML2_CONF_OPTS += --without-python
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_ICU),y)
 LIBXML2_DEPENDENCIES += icu