diff --git a/package/openssl/openssl.mk b/package/openssl/openssl.mk
index 265a4fbe8..160df2e5c 100644
--- a/package/openssl/openssl.mk
+++ b/package/openssl/openssl.mk
@@ -38,8 +38,11 @@ endif
 endif
 endif
 ifeq ($(ARCH),powerpc)
+# 4xx cores seem to have trouble with openssl's ASM optimizations
+ifeq ($(BR2_powerpc_401)$(BR2_powerpc_403)$(BR2_powerpc_405)$(BR2_powerpc_405fp)$(BR2_powerpc_440)$(BR2_powerpc_440fp),)
 	OPENSSL_TARGET_ARCH = ppc
 endif
+endif
 ifeq ($(ARCH),x86_64)
 	OPENSSL_TARGET_ARCH = x86_64
 endif