diff --git a/package/keepalived/keepalived.mk b/package/keepalived/keepalived.mk
index 8756811e04..fa8b2e4112 100644
--- a/package/keepalived/keepalived.mk
+++ b/package/keepalived/keepalived.mk
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ KEEPALIVED_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 KEEPALIVED_AUTORECONF = YES
 KEEPALIVED_CONF_OPTS += --disable-dbus
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_JSON_C),y)
+KEEPALIVED_DEPENDENCIES += json-c
+KEEPALIVED_CONF_OPTS += --enable-json
+else
+KEEPALIVED_CONF_OPTS += --disable-json
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL)$(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNFNETLINK),yy)
 KEEPALIVED_DEPENDENCIES += libnl libnfnetlink
 KEEPALIVED_CONF_OPTS += --enable-libnl