diff --git a/package/qt5/qt5base/Config.in b/package/qt5/qt5base/Config.in
index f22e034b30..337dcf2454 100644
--- a/package/qt5/qt5base/Config.in
+++ b/package/qt5/qt5base/Config.in
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_QT5BASE_XML
 
 config BR2_PACKAGE_QT5BASE_GUI
 	bool "gui module"
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_FREETYPE
 	# At least one graphic backend must be enabled, so enable
 	# linuxfb if nothing is enabled.
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_QT5BASE_LINUXFB if \
diff --git a/package/qt5/qt5base/qt5base.mk b/package/qt5/qt5base/qt5base.mk
index 582421ac55..7a335736db 100644
--- a/package/qt5/qt5base/qt5base.mk
+++ b/package/qt5/qt5base/qt5base.mk
@@ -97,7 +97,13 @@ QT5BASE_DEPENDENCIES   += $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_QT5BASE_SQLITE_SYSTEM),sqlite)
 QT5BASE_CONFIGURE_OPTS += $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_QT5BASE_SQLITE_NONE),-no-sql-sqlite)
 endif
 
-QT5BASE_CONFIGURE_OPTS += $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_QT5BASE_GUI),-gui,-no-gui)
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_QT5BASE_GUI),y)
+QT5BASE_CONFIGURE_OPTS += -gui -system-freetype
+QT5BASE_CONFIGURE_OPTS += $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_QT5_VERSION_5_6),-I$(STAGING_DIR)/usr/include/freetype2)
+QT5BASE_DEPENDENCIES += freetype
+else
+QT5BASE_CONFIGURE_OPTS += -no-gui -no-freetype
+endif
 QT5BASE_CONFIGURE_OPTS += $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_QT5BASE_WIDGETS),-widgets,-no-widgets)
 # We have to use --enable-linuxfb, otherwise Qt thinks that -linuxfb
 # is to add a link against the "inuxfb" library.