diff --git a/package/erlang/erlang.mk b/package/erlang/erlang.mk
index 986b6c9e2a..e6899ded66 100644
--- a/package/erlang/erlang.mk
+++ b/package/erlang/erlang.mk
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ ERLANG_VERSION = 17.3
 ERLANG_SITE = http://www.erlang.org/download
 ERLANG_SOURCE = otp_src_$(ERLANG_VERSION).tar.gz
 ERLANG_DEPENDENCIES = host-erlang
-HOST_ERLANG_DEPENDENCIES =
 
 ERLANG_LICENSE = EPL
 ERLANG_LICENSE_FILES = EPLICENCE
@@ -22,7 +21,11 @@ ERLANG_CONF_ENV = ac_cv_func_isnan=yes ac_cv_func_isinf=yes
 ERLANG_CONF_ENV += erl_xcomp_sysroot=$(STAGING_DIR)
 
 ERLANG_CONF_OPTS = --without-javac
-HOST_ERLANG_CONF_OPTS = --without-javac
+
+# erlang uses openssl for all things crypto. Since the host tools (such as
+# rebar) uses crypto, we need to build host-erlang with support for openssl.
+HOST_ERLANG_DEPENDENCIES = host-openssl
+HOST_ERLANG_CONF_OPTS = --without-javac --with-ssl=$(HOST_DIR)/usr
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES),y)
 ERLANG_CONF_OPTS += --with-termcap