diff --git a/package/exim/Config.in b/package/exim/Config.in
index af54acbbf2..bd4ef1fa84 100644
--- a/package/exim/Config.in
+++ b/package/exim/Config.in
@@ -11,20 +11,16 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM
 
 if BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM
 
-config BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG
-	bool "Use a custom configuration file"
-	help
-	  By default Buildroot generates configuration file for exim with
-	  reasonable settings.
-	  Enable this option if you want to override the configuration file
-	  generated by Buildroot with a customized file. Then set the path
-	  to your configuration file in BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE.
-
 config BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE
 	string "Custom configuration file"
-	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG
 	help
-	  Specify a file to use as the exim configuration file.
+	  By default, when this option is left empty, Buildroot
+	  generates a configuration file for exim with reasonable
+	  settings.
+
+	  If you want to override the configuration file generated by
+	  Buildroot with a customized file, set here the path to your
+	  configuration file with this option.
 
 	  This file shall comply with the syntax defined in the exim
 	  documentation (http://www.exim.org/docs.html).
diff --git a/package/exim/exim.mk b/package/exim/exim.mk
index 2e51a0d9b9..8be8e75cf3 100644
--- a/package/exim/exim.mk
+++ b/package/exim/exim.mk
@@ -57,10 +57,7 @@ define EXIM_CONFIGURE_TOOLCHAIN
 	$(call exim-config-add,HOSTCFLAGS,$(HOSTCFLAGS))
 endef
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG),y)
-ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE)),)
-$(error No exim configuration file specified, check your BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE setting)
-endif
+ifneq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE)),)
 define EXIM_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 	$(EXIM_USE_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE)
 	$(EXIM_CONFIGURE_TOOLCHAIN)