diff --git a/package/setserial/setserial.mk b/package/setserial/setserial.mk
index d4c03963a0..13174be6fc 100644
--- a/package/setserial/setserial.mk
+++ b/package/setserial/setserial.mk
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ SETSERIAL_SOURCE = setserial_$(SETSERIAL_VERSION).orig.tar.gz
 SETSERIAL_SITE = http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian/20131001T214925Z/pool/main/s/setserial
 SETSERIAL_LICENSE = GPLv2
 SETSERIAL_LICENSE_FILES = debian/copyright
+# make all also builds setserial.cat which needs nroff
+SETSERIAL_MAKE_OPT = setserial
 
 define SETSERIAL_APPLY_DEBIAN_PATCHES
 	# Touching gorhack.h is needed for the Debian patch 18 to work