diff --git a/package/tar/tar.mk b/package/tar/tar.mk
index 640868c28e..6480481eff 100644
--- a/package/tar/tar.mk
+++ b/package/tar/tar.mk
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # tar
 #
 #############################################################
-GNUTAR_VERSION:=1.18
+GNUTAR_VERSION:=1.21
 GNUTAR_SOURCE:=tar-$(GNUTAR_VERSION).tar.bz2
 GNUTAR_SITE:=$(BR2_GNU_MIRROR)/tar/
 GNUTAR_DIR:=$(BUILD_DIR)/tar-$(GNUTAR_VERSION)