diff --git a/package/readline/readline.mk b/package/readline/readline.mk
index d670a71f34..c004899c23 100644
--- a/package/readline/readline.mk
+++ b/package/readline/readline.mk
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ READLINE_VERSION = 6.3
 READLINE_SITE = $(BR2_GNU_MIRROR)/readline
 READLINE_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
 READLINE_DEPENDENCIES = ncurses
+HOST_READLINE_DEPENDENCIES = host-ncurses
 READLINE_CONF_ENV = bash_cv_func_sigsetjmp=yes \
 	bash_cv_wcwidth_broken=no
 READLINE_LICENSE = GPLv3+
@@ -20,3 +21,4 @@ endef
 READLINE_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += READLINE_PURGE_EXAMPLES
 
 $(eval $(autotools-package))
+$(eval $(host-autotools-package))