diff --git a/package/libffi/Config.in b/package/libffi/Config.in
index 7211f8fa7..6edf570ba 100644
--- a/package/libffi/Config.in
+++ b/package/libffi/Config.in
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_LIBFFI
 	bool "libffi"
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 	help
 	  The libffi library provides a portable, high level
 	  programming interface to various calling conventions. This
@@ -7,3 +8,6 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_LIBFFI
 	  interface description at run-time.
 
 	  http://sourceware.org/libffi/
+
+comment "libffi needs a toolchain w/ threads"
+	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
diff --git a/package/python/Config.in b/package/python/Config.in
index a0c78c678..8b27630d7 100644
--- a/package/python/Config.in
+++ b/package/python/Config.in
@@ -3,15 +3,16 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON
 	depends on BR2_USE_WCHAR
 	# uses fork()
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS # libffi
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBFFI
 	help
 	  The python language interpreter.
 
 	  http://www.python.org/
 
-comment "python needs a toolchain w/ wchar"
+comment "python needs a toolchain w/ wchar, threads"
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
-	depends on !BR2_USE_WCHAR
+	depends on !BR2_USE_WCHAR || !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 
 if BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON
 
diff --git a/package/python3/Config.in b/package/python3/Config.in
index 3e193c8da..375390fcf 100644
--- a/package/python3/Config.in
+++ b/package/python3/Config.in
@@ -4,15 +4,16 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON3
 	depends on BR2_USE_WCHAR
 	# uses fork()
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS # libffi
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBFFI
 	help
 	  The python language interpreter.
 
 	  http://www.python.org/
 
-comment "python3 needs a toolchain w/ wchar"
+comment "python3 needs a toolchain w/ wchar, threads"
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
-	depends on !BR2_USE_WCHAR
+	depends on !BR2_USE_WCHAR || !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 
 if BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON3