diff --git a/package/openssl/Config.in b/package/openssl/Config.in
index d147c071e8..07852530a3 100644
--- a/package/openssl/Config.in
+++ b/package/openssl/Config.in
@@ -9,14 +9,17 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSL
 
 	  http://www.openssl.org/
 
+	  Note: Some helper scripts need perl.
+
 if BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSL
 
 config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSL_BIN
 	bool "openssl binary"
 	depends on !BR2_STATIC_LIBS
 	help
-	  Install the openssl binary to the target file system. This is a
-	  command line tool for doing various crypthographic stuff.
+	  Install the openssl binary and the associated helper scripts to the
+	  target file system. This is a command line tool for doing various
+	  cryptographic stuff.
 
 comment "openssl binary needs a toolchain w/ dynamic library"
 	depends on BR2_STATIC_LIBS
diff --git a/package/openssl/openssl.mk b/package/openssl/openssl.mk
index 34a9830754..4068cf1b51 100644
--- a/package/openssl/openssl.mk
+++ b/package/openssl/openssl.mk
@@ -14,14 +14,6 @@ HOST_OPENSSL_DEPENDENCIES = host-zlib
 OPENSSL_TARGET_ARCH = generic32
 OPENSSL_CFLAGS = $(TARGET_CFLAGS)
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSL_BIN),)
-define OPENSSL_DISABLE_APPS
-	$(SED) '/^build_apps/! s/build_apps//' $(@D)/Makefile.org
-	$(SED) '/^DIRS=/ s/apps//' $(@D)/Makefile.org
-endef
-OPENSSL_PRE_CONFIGURE_HOOKS += OPENSSL_DISABLE_APPS
-endif
-
 ifeq ($(BR2_USE_MMU),)
 OPENSSL_CFLAGS += -DHAVE_FORK=0
 endif
@@ -140,6 +132,21 @@ endef
 OPENSSL_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += OPENSSL_INSTALL_FIXUPS_SHARED
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_PERL),)
+define OPENSSL_REMOVE_PERL_SCRIPTS
+	$(RM) -f $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/ssl/misc/{CA.pl,tsget}
+endef
+OPENSSL_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += OPENSSL_REMOVE_PERL_SCRIPTS
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSL_BIN),)
+define OPENSSL_REMOVE_BIN
+	$(RM) -f $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/openssl
+	$(RM) -f $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/ssl/misc/{CA.*,c_*}
+endef
+OPENSSL_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += OPENSSL_REMOVE_BIN
+endif
+
 ifneq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSL_ENGINES),y)
 define OPENSSL_REMOVE_OPENSSL_ENGINES
 	rm -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/engines