diff --git a/package/xerces/xerces.mk b/package/xerces/xerces.mk
index fd0417d26..1dcc10a1f 100644
--- a/package/xerces/xerces.mk
+++ b/package/xerces/xerces.mk
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ XERCES_APPS:= \
 
 XERCES_INCLUDES:=/usr/include/xercesc
 
+ifneq ($(BR2_ENABLE_LOCALE),y)
+XERCES_MAKE_OPT=LIBS="-liconv"
+endif
+
 $(DL_DIR)/$(XERCES_SOURCE):
 	 $(call DOWNLOAD,$(XERCES_SITE),$(XERCES_SOURCE))
 
@@ -74,7 +78,7 @@ $(XERCES_DIR)/.configured: $(XERCES_DIR)/.unpacked
 	touch $@
 
 $(XERCES_DIR)/src/.libs/$(LIBXERCES_BINARY): $(XERCES_DIR)/.configured
-	$(MAKE) $(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) LIBS="-liconv" -C $(XERCES_DIR)
+	$(MAKE) $(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) $(XERCES_MAKE_OPT) -C $(XERCES_DIR)
 
 $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/lib/$(LIBXERCES_BINARY): $(XERCES_DIR)/src/.libs/$(LIBXERCES_BINARY)
 	$(MAKE) $(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) DESTDIR=$(STAGING_DIR) \