diff --git a/package/jailhouse/Config.in b/package/jailhouse/Config.in
index 5b9ecc7b7b..d270a2ae8e 100644
--- a/package/jailhouse/Config.in
+++ b/package/jailhouse/Config.in
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ if BR2_PACKAGE_JAILHOUSE
 config BR2_PACKAGE_JAILHOUSE_HELPER_SCRIPTS
 	bool "Jailhouse helper scripts"
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON_MAKO # runtime
 	help
 	  Python-based helpers for the Jailhouse Hypervisor.
 
diff --git a/package/jailhouse/jailhouse.mk b/package/jailhouse/jailhouse.mk
index fa74f9e8c4..aab232eb92 100644
--- a/package/jailhouse/jailhouse.mk
+++ b/package/jailhouse/jailhouse.mk
@@ -18,10 +18,16 @@ JAILHOUSE_MAKE_OPTS = \
 	DESTDIR="$(TARGET_DIR)"
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_JAILHOUSE_HELPER_SCRIPTS),y)
-JAILHOUSE_DEPENDENCIES += host-python-setuptools
-JAILHOUSE_MAKE_OPTS += PYTHON_PIP_USABLE="yes"
+JAILHOUSE_DEPENDENCIES += \
+	host-python-mako \
+	host-python-setuptools
+JAILHOUSE_MAKE_OPTS += \
+	HAS_PYTHON_MAKO="yes" \
+	PYTHON_PIP_USABLE="yes"
 else
-JAILHOUSE_MAKE_OPTS += PYTHON_PIP_USABLE="no"
+JAILHOUSE_MAKE_OPTS += \
+	HAS_PYTHON_MAKO="no" \
+	PYTHON_PIP_USABLE="no"
 endif
 
 define JAILHOUSE_BUILD_CMDS