diff --git a/packages/toolchain/devel/eglibc/build b/packages/toolchain/devel/eglibc/build
index 088caf7b4f..502350cde4 100755
--- a/packages/toolchain/devel/eglibc/build
+++ b/packages/toolchain/devel/eglibc/build
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ cat >option-groups.config <<EOF
 # needed for example with glib and Python:
   OPTION_EGLIBC_LOCALE_CODE = y
 
-  OPTION_EGLIBC_NIS = n
+# activeperl fails without libnsl. keep it enabled for now
+  OPTION_EGLIBC_NIS = y
   OPTION_EGLIBC_NSSWITCH = y
   OPTION_EGLIBC_RCMD = n
 
diff --git a/packages/toolchain/devel/eglibc/install b/packages/toolchain/devel/eglibc/install
index c440a14a7d..3d51002644 100755
--- a/packages/toolchain/devel/eglibc/install
+++ b/packages/toolchain/devel/eglibc/install
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ fi
 mkdir -p $INSTALL/usr/lib
   cp $PKG_BUILD/objdir-$1/crypt/libcrypt.so.1 $INSTALL/usr/lib
   cp $PKG_BUILD/objdir-$1/dlfcn/libdl.so.2 $INSTALL/usr/lib
+  cp $PKG_BUILD/objdir-$1/nis/libnsl.so.1 $INSTALL/usr/lib
+  cp $PKG_BUILD/objdir-$1/nis/libnss_compat.so.2 $INSTALL/usr/lib
   cp $PKG_BUILD/objdir-$1/nss/libnss_files.so.2 $INSTALL/usr/lib
   cp $PKG_BUILD/objdir-$1/resolv/libnss_dns.so.2 $INSTALL/usr/lib
   cp $PKG_BUILD/objdir-$1/resolv/libresolv.so.2 $INSTALL/usr/lib