diff --git a/config/options b/config/options
index 974860b1f5..b19bf5e0c3 100644
--- a/config/options
+++ b/config/options
@@ -33,8 +33,10 @@ TARGET_ARCH="${ARCH}"
 # include arm-mem package on arm
 if [ "${TARGET_ARCH}" = "arm" ]; then
   ARM_MEM_SUPPORT="yes"
+  TCMALLOC_SUPPORT="yes"
 else
   ARM_MEM_SUPPORT="no"
+  TCMALLOC_SUPPORT="no"
 fi
 
 # include helper functions
diff --git a/packages/virtual/libc/package.mk b/packages/virtual/libc/package.mk
index 8aae341393..f4ad489239 100644
--- a/packages/virtual/libc/package.mk
+++ b/packages/virtual/libc/package.mk
@@ -16,3 +16,7 @@ if [ "${ARM_MEM_SUPPORT}" = "yes" ]; then
   PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET+=" arm-mem"
   PKG_DEPENDS_INIT+=" arm-mem:init"
 fi
+
+if [ "${TCMALLOC_SUPPORT}" = "yes" ]; then
+  PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET+=" gperftools"
+fi