diff --git a/package/mender/Config.in b/package/mender/Config.in
index accee4676a..5ac8bb1676 100644
--- a/package/mender/Config.in
+++ b/package/mender/Config.in
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_MENDER
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_GO_TARGET_CGO_LINKING_SUPPORTS
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSL
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_XZ
 	help
 	  Mender is an open source over-the-air (OTA) software updater
 	  for embedded Linux devices. Mender comprises a client
diff --git a/package/mender/mender.mk b/package/mender/mender.mk
index 794dd4be8c..1ebd5a2e83 100644
--- a/package/mender/mender.mk
+++ b/package/mender/mender.mk
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ MENDER_LICENSE_FILES = \
 	vendor/github.com/mattn/go-isatty/LICENSE \
 	vendor/github.com/bmatsuo/lmdb-go/LICENSE.mdb.md
 
-MENDER_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf openssl xz
+MENDER_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf openssl
 
 MENDER_LDFLAGS = -X github.com/mendersoftware/mender/conf.Version=$(MENDER_VERSION)
 
@@ -81,6 +81,12 @@ endef
 
 MENDER_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += MENDER_INSTALL_CONFIG_FILES
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_XZ),y)
+MENDER_DEPENDENCIES += xz
+else
+MENDER_TAGS += nolzma
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_DBUS),y)
 define MENDER_INSTALL_DBUS_AUTHENTICATION_MANAGER_CONF
 	$(INSTALL) -D -m 0755 $(@D)/support/dbus/io.mender.AuthenticationManager.conf \