diff --git a/toolchain/helpers.mk b/toolchain/helpers.mk
index 3991bc1cf1..72e7292353 100644
--- a/toolchain/helpers.mk
+++ b/toolchain/helpers.mk
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ check_kernel_headers_version = \
 check_gcc_version = \
 	expected_version="$(strip $2)" ; \
 	if [ -z "$${expected_version}" ]; then \
-		printf "Internal error, gcc version unknown (no GCC_AT_LEAST_X_Y selected)\n"; \
-		exit 1 ; \
+		exit 0 ; \
 	fi; \
 	real_version=`$(1) --version | sed -r -e '1!d; s/^[^)]+\) ([^[:space:]]+).*/\1/;'` ; \
 	if [[ ! "$${real_version}" =~ ^$${expected_version}\. ]] ; then \
diff --git a/toolchain/toolchain-external/toolchain-external-custom/Config.in.options b/toolchain/toolchain-external/toolchain-external-custom/Config.in.options
index cdc25559fa..5ff2491e19 100644
--- a/toolchain/toolchain-external/toolchain-external-custom/Config.in.options
+++ b/toolchain/toolchain-external/toolchain-external-custom/Config.in.options
@@ -59,6 +59,17 @@ config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_GCC_4_3
 	bool "4.3.x"
 	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_3
 
+config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_GCC_OLD
+	bool "older"
+	help
+	  Use this option if your GCC version is older than any of the
+	  above.
+
+	  Note that the Buildroot community doesn't do any testing with
+	  such old toolchains. Some packages may fail to build in
+	  surprising ways, or the generated root filesystem may not
+	  work at all. Use such old toolchains at your own risk.
+
 endchoice
 
 choice