diff --git a/package/pkg-download.mk b/package/pkg-download.mk
index d3cd0c144e..7f208d538b 100644
--- a/package/pkg-download.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-download.mk
@@ -58,6 +58,17 @@ domainseparator=$(if $(1),$(1),/)
 # github(user,package,version): returns site of GitHub repository
 github = https://github.com/$(1)/$(2)/archive/$(3)
 
+# Helper for checking a tarball's checksum
+# If the hash does not match, remove the incorrect file
+# $(1): the path to the file with the hashes
+# $(2): the full path to the file to check
+define VERIFY_HASH
+	if ! support/download/check-hash $(1) $(2); then \
+		rm -f $(2); \
+		exit 1; \
+	fi
+endef
+
 ################################################################################
 # The DOWNLOAD_* helpers are in charge of getting a working copy
 # of the source repository for their corresponding SCM,
@@ -148,7 +159,8 @@ endef
 define DOWNLOAD_SCP
 	test -e $(DL_DIR)/$(2) || \
 	$(EXTRA_ENV) support/download/scp '$(call stripurischeme,$(call qstrip,$(1)))' \
-					  $(DL_DIR)/$(2)
+					  $(DL_DIR)/$(2) && \
+	$(call VERIFY_HASH,$(PKGDIR)/$($(PKG)_NAME).hash,$(DL_DIR)/$(2))
 endef
 
 define SOURCE_CHECK_SCP
@@ -179,7 +191,8 @@ endef
 
 define DOWNLOAD_WGET
 	test -e $(DL_DIR)/$(2) || \
-	$(EXTRA_ENV) support/download/wget '$(call qstrip,$(1))' $(DL_DIR)/$(2)
+	$(EXTRA_ENV) support/download/wget '$(call qstrip,$(1))' $(DL_DIR)/$(2) && \
+	$(call VERIFY_HASH,$(PKGDIR)/$($(PKG)_NAME).hash,$(DL_DIR)/$(2))
 endef
 
 define SOURCE_CHECK_WGET
@@ -193,7 +206,8 @@ endef
 define DOWNLOAD_LOCALFILES
 	test -e $(DL_DIR)/$(2) || \
 	$(EXTRA_ENV) support/download/cp $(call stripurischeme,$(call qstrip,$(1))) \
-					 $(DL_DIR)
+					 $(DL_DIR) && \
+	$(call VERIFY_HASH,$(PKGDIR)/$($(PKG)_NAME).hash,$(DL_DIR)/$(2))
 endef
 
 define SOURCE_CHECK_LOCALFILES
diff --git a/support/download/check-hash b/support/download/check-hash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..9ea7c415a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/download/check-hash
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+# Helper to check a file matches its known hash
+# Call it with:
+#   $1: the full path to the file to check
+#   $2: the path of the file containing all the the expected hashes
+
+h_file="${1}"
+file="${2}"
+
+# Does the hash-file exist?
+if [ ! -f "${h_file}" ]; then
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# Check one hash for a file
+# $1: known hash
+# $2: file (full path)
+check_one_hash() {
+    _h="${1}"
+    _known="${2}"
+    _file="${3}"
+
+    # Note: sha3 is not supported, since there is currently no implementation
+    #       (the NIST has yet to publish the parameters).
+    case "${_h}" in
+        md5|sha1)                       ;;
+        sha224|sha256|sha384|sha512)    ;;
+        *) # Unknown hash, exit with error
+            printf "ERROR: unknown hash '%s' for '%s'\n"  \
+                   "${_h}" "${_file##*/}" >&2
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+    # Do the hashes match?
+    _hash=$( ${_h}sum "${_file}" |cut -d ' ' -f 1 )
+    if [ "${_hash}" = "${_known}" ]; then
+        printf "%s: OK (%s: %s)\n" "${_file##*/}" "${_h}" "${_hash}"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    printf "ERROR: %s has wrong %s hash:\n" "${_file##*/}" "${_h}" >&2
+    printf "ERROR: expected: %s\n" "${_known}" >&2
+    printf "ERROR: got     : %s\n" "${_hash}" >&2
+    printf "ERROR: Incomplete download, or man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack\n" >&2
+
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# Do we know one or more hashes for that file?
+nb_checks=0
+while read t h f; do
+    case "${t}" in
+        ''|'#'*)
+            # Skip comments and empty lines
+            continue
+            ;;
+        *)
+            if [ "${f}" = "${file##*/}" ]; then
+                check_one_hash "${t}" "${h}" "${file}"
+                : $((nb_checks++))
+            fi
+            ;;
+    esac
+done <"${h_file}"
+
+if [ ${nb_checks} -eq 0 ]; then
+    if [ -n "${BR2_ENFORCE_CHECK_HASH}" ]; then
+        printf "ERROR: No hash found for %s\n" "${file}" >&2
+        exit 1
+    else
+        printf "WARNING: No hash found for %s\n" "${file}" >&2
+    fi
+fi