diff --git a/package/openssh/Config.in b/package/openssh/Config.in
index 08d3c7d391..25843447a7 100644
--- a/package/openssh/Config.in
+++ b/package/openssh/Config.in
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSH_CLIENT
 config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSH_SERVER
 	bool "server"
 	default y
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBXCRYPT if BR2_TOOLCHAIN_USES_GLIBC
 	help
 	  Server programs: sshd, sftp-server
 
diff --git a/package/openssh/openssh.mk b/package/openssh/openssh.mk
index f0b499590a..d7f4db59ca 100644
--- a/package/openssh/openssh.mk
+++ b/package/openssh/openssh.mk
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ endif
 
 OPENSSH_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf zlib openssl
 
+# crypt() in libcrypt only required for sshd.
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_OPENSSH_SERVER)$(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBXCRYPT),yy)
+OPENSSH_DEPENDENCIES += libxcrypt
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_CRYPTODEV_LINUX),y)
 OPENSSH_DEPENDENCIES += cryptodev-linux
 OPENSSH_CONF_OPTS += --with-ssl-engine