diff --git a/package/libaio/libaio.mk b/package/libaio/libaio.mk
index 9b28f0562a..0854fc5fd6 100644
--- a/package/libaio/libaio.mk
+++ b/package/libaio/libaio.mk
@@ -11,16 +11,24 @@ LIBAIO_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
 LIBAIO_LICENSE = LGPLv2.1+
 LIBAIO_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 
+LIBAIO_CONFIGURE_OPTS = $(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS)
+
+# On PowerPC, a weird toolchain issue causes -Os builds to produce
+# references to hidden symbols, so we're forcing -O2
+ifeq ($(BR2_powerpc),y)
+LIBAIO_CONFIGURE_OPTS += CFLAGS="$(subst -Os,-O2,$(TARGET_CFLAGS))"
+endif
+
 define LIBAIO_BUILD_CMDS
-	$(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) $(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) -C $(@D)
+	$(LIBAIO_CONFIGURE_OPTS) $(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) -C $(@D)
 endef
 
 define LIBAIO_INSTALL_STAGING_CMDS
-	$(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) $(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) -C $(@D) DESTDIR=$(STAGING_DIR) install
+	$(LIBAIO_CONFIGURE_OPTS) $(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) -C $(@D) DESTDIR=$(STAGING_DIR) install
 endef
 
 define LIBAIO_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
-	$(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) $(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) -C $(@D) DESTDIR=$(TARGET_DIR) install
+	$(LIBAIO_CONFIGURE_OPTS) $(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) -C $(@D) DESTDIR=$(TARGET_DIR) install
 endef
 
 $(eval $(generic-package))