diff --git a/package/multimedia/pulseaudio/pulseaudio.mk b/package/multimedia/pulseaudio/pulseaudio.mk
index b73c103855..5e68dfbaeb 100644
--- a/package/multimedia/pulseaudio/pulseaudio.mk
+++ b/package/multimedia/pulseaudio/pulseaudio.mk
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ ifneq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_ALSA_LIB_PCM)$(BR2_PACKAGE_ALSA_LIB_MIXER),yy)
 PULSEAUDIO_CONF_OPT += --disable-alsa
 endif
 
+# gtk support needs x backend
+ifneq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGTK2)$(BR2_PACKAGE_XORG),yy)
+PULSEAUDIO_CONF_OPT += --disable-gtk2
+endif
+
 ifneq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_VALA),y)
 define PULSEAUDIO_REMOVE_VALA
 	rm -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/share/vala