diff --git a/package/libnl/Config.in b/package/libnl/Config.in
index fec10d31b7..11732789fd 100644
--- a/package/libnl/Config.in
+++ b/package/libnl/Config.in
@@ -6,11 +6,19 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL
 
 	  http://people.suug.ch/~tgr/libnl/
 
+comment "libnl needs a toolchain w/ threads"
+	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+
+if BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL
+
 config BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL_TOOLS
 	bool "install tools"
-	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL
+	# uses <dlfcn.h>
+	depends on !BR2_PREFER_STATIC_LIB
 	help
 	  Install binary tools.
 
-comment "libnl needs a toolchain w/ threads"
-	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+comment "libnl tools need a toolchain w/ dynamic library"
+	depends on BR2_PREFER_STATIC_LIB
+
+endif