diff --git a/package/avrdude/Config.in b/package/avrdude/Config.in
index fba4253ad8..89558a5ff5 100644
--- a/package/avrdude/Config.in
+++ b/package/avrdude/Config.in
@@ -15,6 +15,18 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_AVRDUDE
 
 	  https://github.com/kcuzner/avrdude
 
+if BR2_PACKAGE_AVRDUDE
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_AVRDUDE_SPI
+	bool "SPI support"
+	default y # Backward compatibility
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HEADERS_AT_LEAST_4_6
+
+comment "SPI support needs a toolchain w/ linux headers >= 4.6"
+	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HEADERS_AT_LEAST_4_6
+
+endif
+
 comment "avrdude needs a uClibc or glibc toolchain w/ threads, wchar, dynamic library, gcc >= 4.9"
 	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS || !BR2_USE_WCHAR \
 		|| BR2_STATIC_LIBS || !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_9 \
diff --git a/package/avrdude/avrdude.mk b/package/avrdude/avrdude.mk
index b6754684e1..ae623a7929 100644
--- a/package/avrdude/avrdude.mk
+++ b/package/avrdude/avrdude.mk
@@ -13,10 +13,16 @@ AVRDUDE_SUBDIR = avrdude
 # Sources coming from svn, without generated configure and Makefile.in
 # files.
 AVRDUDE_AUTORECONF = YES
-AVRDUDE_CONF_OPTS = --enable-linuxgpio --enable-linuxspi
+AVRDUDE_CONF_OPTS = --enable-linuxgpio
 AVRDUDE_DEPENDENCIES = elfutils libusb libusb-compat ncurses \
 	host-flex host-bison
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_AVRDUDE_SPI),y)
+AVRDUDE_CONF_OPTS += --enable-linuxspi
+else
+AVRDUDE_CONF_OPTS += --disable-linuxspi
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBFTDI1),y)
 AVRDUDE_DEPENDENCIES += libftdi1
 else ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBFTDI),y)