diff --git a/package/qemu/Config.in b/package/qemu/Config.in
index e935ef9c61..b9c1ca1816 100644
--- a/package/qemu/Config.in
+++ b/package/qemu/Config.in
@@ -107,4 +107,9 @@ comment "FDT support needs a toolchain w/ dynamic library"
 
 endif # BR2_PACKAGE_QEMU_HAS_EMULS
 
+config BR2_PACKAGE_QEMU_TOOLS
+	bool "Enable tools"
+	help
+	  Say 'y' here to include tools packaged with QEMU (e.g. qemu-img).
+
 endif # BR2_PACKAGE_QEMU
diff --git a/package/qemu/qemu.mk b/package/qemu/qemu.mk
index 45fc0fad0a..bc707cf7e6 100644
--- a/package/qemu/qemu.mk
+++ b/package/qemu/qemu.mk
@@ -204,6 +204,12 @@ else
 QEMU_OPTS += --disable-fdt
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_QEMU_TOOLS),y)
+QEMU_OPTS += --enable-tools
+else
+QEMU_OPTS += --disable-tools
+endif
+
 # Override CPP, as it expects to be able to call it like it'd
 # call the compiler.
 define QEMU_CONFIGURE_CMDS
@@ -242,7 +248,6 @@ define QEMU_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 			--disable-strip                 \
 			--disable-seccomp               \
 			--disable-sparse                \
-			--disable-tools                 \
 			$(QEMU_OPTS)                    \
 	)
 endef