diff --git a/package/util-linux/util-linux-libs/util-linux-libs.mk b/package/util-linux/util-linux-libs/util-linux-libs.mk
index 20566345c6..e1fe1ec191 100644
--- a/package/util-linux/util-linux-libs/util-linux-libs.mk
+++ b/package/util-linux/util-linux-libs/util-linux-libs.mk
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ UTIL_LINUX_LIBS_CONF_OPTS += --disable-widechar
 # No libs use ncurses
 UTIL_LINUX_LIBS_CONF_OPTS += --without-ncursesw --without-ncurses
 
+# workaround for static_assert on uclibc-ng < 1.0.42
+UTIL_LINUX_LIBS_CONF_ENV += CFLAGS="$(TARGET_CFLAGS) -Dstatic_assert=_Static_assert"
+
 # Unfortunately, the util-linux does LIBS="" at the end of its
 # configure script. So we have to pass the proper LIBS value when
 # calling the configure script to make configure tests pass properly,
diff --git a/package/util-linux/util-linux.mk b/package/util-linux/util-linux.mk
index 0b8e3979b7..7065155ca2 100644
--- a/package/util-linux/util-linux.mk
+++ b/package/util-linux/util-linux.mk
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ endif
 UTIL_LINUX_CONF_OPTS += --without-ncursesw --without-ncurses
 endif
 
+# workaround for static_assert on uclibc-ng < 1.0.42
+UTIL_LINUX_CONF_ENV += CFLAGS="$(TARGET_CFLAGS) -Dstatic_assert=_Static_assert"
+
 # Unfortunately, the util-linux does LIBS="" at the end of its
 # configure script. So we have to pass the proper LIBS value when
 # calling the configure script to make configure tests pass properly,