diff --git a/package/gdb/gdb.mk b/package/gdb/gdb.mk
index ca71349cb3..215f473cc0 100644
--- a/package/gdb/gdb.mk
+++ b/package/gdb/gdb.mk
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ else
 GDB_CONF_OPTS += --without-zlib
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_PYTHON),)
 # This removes some unneeded Python scripts and XML target description
 # files that are not useful for a normal usage of the debugger.
 define GDB_REMOVE_UNNEEDED_FILES
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ define GDB_REMOVE_UNNEEDED_FILES
 endef
 
 GDB_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += GDB_REMOVE_UNNEEDED_FILES
+endif
 
 # This installs the gdbserver somewhere into the $(HOST_DIR) so that
 # it becomes an integral part of the SDK, if the toolchain generated