diff --git a/package/qemu/Config.in.host b/package/qemu/Config.in.host
index 227749af0e..b3eb5906cc 100644
--- a/package/qemu/Config.in.host
+++ b/package/qemu/Config.in.host
@@ -31,4 +31,11 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_QEMU_LINUX_USER_MODE
 	  Enables the build of the user-land emulator, which allows to
 	  run user-space applications.
 
+config BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_QEMU_VDE2
+	bool "VDE2 support"
+	help
+	  Enables VDE2 support. VDE2 stands for Virtual Distributed
+	  Ethernet and can be used to create virtual switches to
+	  "plug" both physical and virtual machines in them.
+
 endif
diff --git a/package/qemu/qemu.mk b/package/qemu/qemu.mk
index 5c3cfeacc3..3ca09583ed 100644
--- a/package/qemu/qemu.mk
+++ b/package/qemu/qemu.mk
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ else # BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_QEMU_LINUX_USER_MODE
 HOST_QEMU_OPTS += --disable-linux-user
 endif # BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_QEMU_LINUX_USER_MODE
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_QEMU_VDE2),y)
+HOST_QEMU_OPTS += --enable-vde
+HOST_QEMU_DEPENDENCIES += host-vde2
+endif
+
 define HOST_QEMU_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 	cd $(@D); $(HOST_CONFIGURE_OPTS) ./configure    \
 		--target-list="$(HOST_QEMU_TARGETS)"    \