diff --git a/configs/qemu_ppc64_pseries_defconfig b/configs/qemu_ppc64_pseries_defconfig
index 350380578a..5f6f51d258 100644
--- a/configs/qemu_ppc64_pseries_defconfig
+++ b/configs/qemu_ppc64_pseries_defconfig
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION=y
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION_VALUE="6.6.18"
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG="pseries"
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_VMLINUX=y
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_NEEDS_HOST_OPENSSL=y
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_NEEDS_HOST_LIBELF=y
 
 # host-qemu for gitlab testing