diff --git a/package/mp4v2/mp4v2.mk b/package/mp4v2/mp4v2.mk
index 94b472749..5d381160c 100644
--- a/package/mp4v2/mp4v2.mk
+++ b/package/mp4v2/mp4v2.mk
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ MP4V2_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
 MP4V2_LICENSE = MPLv1.1
 MP4V2_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 
+# help2man expects to be able to run utilities on the build machine to
+# grab --help output which doesn't work when cross compiling, so
+# disable it
+MP4V2_CONF_ENV = ac_cv_prog_FOUND_HELP2MAN=no
+
 # infrastructure passes --disable-debug if !BR2_ENABLE_DEBUG. With
 # mpv42 the only thing this option does is that it tries to strip any
 # -g* options from CFLAGS/CXXFLAGS. The logic to do so is