diff --git a/package/gkrellm/gkrellm.mk b/package/gkrellm/gkrellm.mk
index 2a68722663..27a87be190 100644
--- a/package/gkrellm/gkrellm.mk
+++ b/package/gkrellm/gkrellm.mk
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ GKRELLM_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING COPYRIGHT
 GKRELLM_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf libglib2 $(TARGET_NLS_DEPENDENCIES)
 GKRELLM_BUILD_OPTS = \
 	STRIP="" \
-	SYS_LIBS=$(TARGET_NLS_LIBS)
+	SYS_LIBS="$(GKRELLM_SYS_LIBS)"
+
+GKRELLM_SYS_LIBS = $(TARGET_NLS_LIBS)
+
+ifeq ($(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_LIBATOMIC),y)
+GKRELLM_SYS_LIBS += -latomic
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LM_SENSORS),y)
 GKRELLM_DEPENDENCIES += lm-sensors