diff --git a/package/cmake/Config.in.host b/package/cmake/Config.in.host
index b2e210ee2c..5de076537b 100644
--- a/package/cmake/Config.in.host
+++ b/package/cmake/Config.in.host
@@ -9,3 +9,30 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_CMAKE
 	  the compiler environment of your choice.
 
 	  http://www.cmake.org/
+
+# The minimum system cmake version we expect if 3.18 as provided by
+# Debian bullseye, that we use in our reference build docker image.
+config BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_19
+	bool
+
+config BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_20
+	bool
+	select BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_19
+
+config BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_21
+	bool
+	select BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_20
+
+config BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_22
+	bool
+	select BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_21
+
+# This order guarantees that the highest version is set, as kconfig
+# stops affecting a value on the first matching default.
+config BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST
+	string
+	default "3.22"	if BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_22
+	default "3.21"	if BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_21
+	default "3.20"	if BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_20
+	default "3.19"	if BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_3_19
+	default "3.18"
diff --git a/package/cmake/cmake.mk b/package/cmake/cmake.mk
index dc92c8bb4e..b99877696a 100644
--- a/package/cmake/cmake.mk
+++ b/package/cmake/cmake.mk
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #
 ################################################################################
 
+# When updating the version, please also update BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST_X_Y
 CMAKE_VERSION_MAJOR = 3.22
 CMAKE_VERSION = $(CMAKE_VERSION_MAJOR).3
 CMAKE_SITE = https://cmake.org/files/v$(CMAKE_VERSION_MAJOR)
diff --git a/support/dependencies/check-host-cmake.mk b/support/dependencies/check-host-cmake.mk
index 5760e4ded1..e367690319 100644
--- a/support/dependencies/check-host-cmake.mk
+++ b/support/dependencies/check-host-cmake.mk
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
-# Set this to either 3.18 or higher, depending on the highest minimum
-# version required by any of the packages bundled in Buildroot. If a
-# package is bumped or a new one added, and it requires a higher
-# version, our cmake infra will catch it and build its own.
+# The cmake minimum version is set to either 3.18 or higher,
+# depending on the highest minimum version required by any
+# of the packages bundled in Buildroot. If a package is
+# bumped or a new one added, and it requires a higher
+# cmake version than the one provided by the host, our
+# cmake infra will catch it and build its own.
 #
-BR2_CMAKE_VERSION_MIN = 3.18
+BR2_CMAKE_VERSION_MIN = $(BR2_HOST_CMAKE_AT_LEAST)
 
 BR2_CMAKE_CANDIDATES ?= cmake cmake3
 BR2_CMAKE ?= $(call suitable-host-package,cmake,\