diff --git a/package/binutils/binutils.mk b/package/binutils/binutils.mk
index 77d075176f..4888eeba99 100644
--- a/package/binutils/binutils.mk
+++ b/package/binutils/binutils.mk
@@ -42,11 +42,18 @@ BINUTILS_DEPENDENCIES += host-texinfo host-flex host-bison
 HOST_BINUTILS_DEPENDENCIES += host-texinfo host-flex host-bison
 endif
 
+# When binutils sources are fetched from the binutils-gdb repository,
+# they also contain the gdb sources, but gdb shouldn't be built, so we
+# disable it.
+BINUTILS_DISABLE_GDB_CONF_OPT = \
+	--disable-sim --disable-gdb
+
 # We need to specify host & target to avoid breaking ARM EABI
 BINUTILS_CONF_OPT = --disable-multilib --disable-werror \
 		--host=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
 		--target=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
 		--enable-install-libiberty \
+		$(BINUTILS_DISABLE_GDB_CONF_OPT) \
 		$(BINUTILS_EXTRA_CONFIG_OPTIONS)
 
 # Don't build documentation. It takes up extra space / build time,
@@ -65,6 +72,7 @@ HOST_BINUTILS_CONF_OPT = --disable-multilib --disable-werror \
 			--target=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
 			--disable-shared --enable-static \
 			--with-sysroot=$(STAGING_DIR) \
+			$(BINUTILS_DISABLE_GDB_CONF_OPT) \
 			$(BINUTILS_EXTRA_CONFIG_OPTIONS)
 
 # We just want libbfd and libiberty, not the full-blown binutils in staging
diff --git a/package/gdb/gdb.mk b/package/gdb/gdb.mk
index 6640d2c280..063a7acdf5 100644
--- a/package/gdb/gdb.mk
+++ b/package/gdb/gdb.mk
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ GDB_PRE_PATCH_HOOKS += GDB_XTENSA_PRE_PATCH
 HOST_GDB_PRE_PATCH_HOOKS += GDB_XTENSA_PRE_PATCH
 endif
 
+# When gdb sources are fetched from the binutils-gdb repository, they
+# also contain the binutils sources, but binutils shouldn't be built,
+# so we disable it.
+GDB_DISABLE_BINUTILS_CONF_OPT = \
+	--disable-binutils \
+	--disable-ld \
+	--disable-gas
+
 GDB_CONF_ENV = \
 	ac_cv_type_uintptr_t=yes \
 	gt_cv_func_gettext_libintl=yes \
@@ -67,6 +75,7 @@ GDB_CONF_OPT = \
 	--disable-gdbtk \
 	--without-x \
 	--disable-sim \
+	$(GDB_DISABLE_BINUTILS_CONF_OPT) \
 	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_SERVER),--enable-gdbserver) \
 	--with-curses \
 	--without-included-gettext \
@@ -111,6 +120,7 @@ HOST_GDB_CONF_OPT = \
 	--enable-threads \
 	--disable-werror \
 	--without-included-gettext \
+	$(GDB_DISABLE_BINUTILS_CONF_OPT) \
 	--disable-sim
 
 ifeq ($(GDB_FROM_GIT),y)