diff --git a/Config.in.legacy b/Config.in.legacy
index 4e4a464709..54476acf9a 100644
--- a/Config.in.legacy
+++ b/Config.in.legacy
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ endif
 
 comment "Legacy options removed in 2021.08"
 
+config BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_EXT_MCRYPT
+	bool "PHP mcrypt extension removed"
+	select BR2_LEGACY
+	help
+	  mcrypt has been removed from php since version 7.2.0.
+
 config BR2_BINUTILS_VERSION_2_34_X
 	bool "binutils 2.34 has been removed"
 	select BR2_LEGACY
diff --git a/package/php/Config.ext b/package/php/Config.ext
index 4dfdb37f87..5da5d8bed9 100644
--- a/package/php/Config.ext
+++ b/package/php/Config.ext
@@ -87,12 +87,6 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_EXT_LIBSODIUM
 	help
 	  libsodium support
 
-config BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_EXT_MCRYPT
-	bool "mcrypt"
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBMCRYPT
-	help
-	  mcrypt support
-
 config BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_EXT_OPENSSL
 	bool "openssl"
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSL
diff --git a/package/php/php.mk b/package/php/php.mk
index 6780b6a962..a1ad6e3296 100644
--- a/package/php/php.mk
+++ b/package/php/php.mk
@@ -136,11 +136,6 @@ PHP_CONF_OPTS += --enable-mbstring
 PHP_DEPENDENCIES += oniguruma
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_EXT_MCRYPT),y)
-PHP_CONF_OPTS += --with-mcrypt=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr
-PHP_DEPENDENCIES += libmcrypt
-endif
-
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_PHP_EXT_OPENSSL),y)
 PHP_CONF_OPTS += --with-openssl=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr
 PHP_DEPENDENCIES += openssl