diff --git a/Config.in b/Config.in
index 8ff725a42..f13ae367d 100644
--- a/Config.in
+++ b/Config.in
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ config BR2_EXTERNAL
 config BR2_NEEDS_HOST_JAVA
 	bool
 
+# Hidden boolean selected by packages in need of javac in order to build
+# (example: classpath)
+config BR2_NEEDS_HOST_JAVAC
+	bool
+
+# Hidden boolean selected by packages in need of jar in order to build
+# (example: classpath)
+config BR2_NEEDS_HOST_JAR
+	bool
+
 # Hidden boolean selected by pre-built packages for x86, when they
 # need to run on x86-64 machines (example: pre-built external
 # toolchains, binary tools like SAM-BA, etc.).
diff --git a/package/classpath/Config.in b/package/classpath/Config.in
index 0153bca07..a11845c75 100644
--- a/package/classpath/Config.in
+++ b/package/classpath/Config.in
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_CLASSPATH
 	bool "classpath"
+	select BR2_NEEDS_HOST_JAR
+	select BR2_NEEDS_HOST_JAVAC
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_JAMVM
 	depends on BR2_INET_IPV6
 	help
diff --git a/support/dependencies/dependencies.sh b/support/dependencies/dependencies.sh
index 655b4c634..255a07b08 100755
--- a/support/dependencies/dependencies.sh
+++ b/support/dependencies/dependencies.sh
@@ -187,20 +187,18 @@ if grep ^BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT=y $BR2_CONFIG > /dev/null && \
 	fi
 fi
 
-if grep -q ^BR2_PACKAGE_CLASSPATH=y $BR2_CONFIG ; then
-	for prog in javac jar; do
-		if ! which $prog > /dev/null ; then
-			echo >&2
-			echo "You must install '$prog' on your build machine" >&2
-			exit 1
-		fi
-	done
-fi
-
 if grep -q ^BR2_NEEDS_HOST_JAVA=y $BR2_CONFIG ; then
 	check_prog_host "java"
 fi
 
+if grep -q ^BR2_NEEDS_HOST_JAVAC=y $BR2_CONFIG ; then
+	check_prog_host "javac"
+fi
+
+if grep -q ^BR2_NEEDS_HOST_JAR=y $BR2_CONFIG ; then
+	check_prog_host "jar"
+fi
+
 if grep -q ^BR2_HOSTARCH_NEEDS_IA32_LIBS=y $BR2_CONFIG ; then
 	if test ! -f /lib/ld-linux.so.2 ; then
 		echo