diff --git a/package/hiawatha/Config.in b/package/hiawatha/Config.in
index 8f1908f6f4..4b1a3ca86c 100644
--- a/package/hiawatha/Config.in
+++ b/package/hiawatha/Config.in
@@ -32,6 +32,5 @@ if BR2_PACKAGE_HIAWATHA
 
 config BR2_PACKAGE_HIAWATHA_SSL
 	bool "hiawatha TLS support"
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_MBEDTLS
 
 endif
diff --git a/package/hiawatha/hiawatha.mk b/package/hiawatha/hiawatha.mk
index 5618e6900d..017592de1e 100644
--- a/package/hiawatha/hiawatha.mk
+++ b/package/hiawatha/hiawatha.mk
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@ HIAWATHA_CONF_OPTS = \
 	-DWORK_DIR=/var/lib/hiawatha
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_HIAWATHA_SSL),y)
-HIAWATHA_CONF_OPTS += -DUSE_SYSTEM_MBEDTLS=ON
-HIAWATHA_DEPENDENCIES += mbedtls
+# Disable system mbedtls as hiawatha needs mbedtls 3.x
+HIAWATHA_CONF_OPTS += \
+	-DENABLE_TLS=ON \
+	-DINSTALL_MBEDTLS_HEADERS=OFF \
+	-DUSE_SYSTEM_MBEDTLS=OFF
 else
 HIAWATHA_CONF_OPTS += -DENABLE_TLS=OFF
 endif