diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 90d1a9d502..2b228f7c3a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@
 # Set and export the version string
 export BR2_VERSION:=2012.02-git
 
+# Check for minimal make version (note: this check will break at make 10.x)
+MIN_MAKE_VERSION=3.81
+ifeq ($(firstword $(sort $(MAKE_VERSION) $(MIN_MAKE_VERSION))),$(MAKE_VERSION))
+$(error You have make '$(MAKE_VERSION)' installed. GNU make >= $(MIN_MAKE_VERSION) is required)
+endif
+
 # This top-level Makefile can *not* be executed in parallel
 .NOTPARALLEL: