diff --git a/package/gnupg/Config.in b/package/gnupg/Config.in
index 2db46318f1..e92fca709d 100644
--- a/package/gnupg/Config.in
+++ b/package/gnupg/Config.in
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG
 	bool "gnupg"
-	depends on !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
 	help
 	  GnuPG is the GNU project's complete and free implementation
diff --git a/package/gnupg2/Config.in b/package/gnupg2/Config.in
index ef1817ef02..043d53554c 100644
--- a/package/gnupg2/Config.in
+++ b/package/gnupg2/Config.in
@@ -2,12 +2,22 @@ comment "gnupg2 needs a toolchain w/ threads and dynamic library support"
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
 	depends on BR2_STATIC_LIBS || !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 
-config BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2
-	bool "gnupg2"
+# helper to make it easier to select gnupg2 or gnupg; usage:
+# select BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2 if BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2_DEPENDS && !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG
+# select BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG if !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2_DEPENDS
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2_DEPENDS
+	bool
+	default y
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGPG_ERROR_ARCH_SUPPORTS # libgpg-error
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS # libnpth
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU # libassuan, libnpth
 	depends on !BR2_STATIC_LIBS
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2
+	bool "gnupg2"
+	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2_DEPENDS
+	depends on !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGPG_ERROR
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGCRYPT
diff --git a/package/libgpgme/Config.in b/package/libgpgme/Config.in
index 4aabd06367..16ce27d0ef 100644
--- a/package/libgpgme/Config.in
+++ b/package/libgpgme/Config.in
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGPGME
 	bool "libgpgme"
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGPG_ERROR_ARCH_SUPPORTS # libgpg-error
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU # libassuan
-	#gnupg is not needed to build, but at runtime.
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG if !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2 if BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2_DEPENDS && !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG # runtime
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG if !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2_DEPENDS # runtime
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGPG_ERROR
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBASSUAN
 	help
diff --git a/package/python-gnupg/Config.in b/package/python-gnupg/Config.in
index 038a940778..234792977a 100644
--- a/package/python-gnupg/Config.in
+++ b/package/python-gnupg/Config.in
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON_GNUPG
 	bool "python-gnupg"
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG if !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2 # runtime
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2 if BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2_DEPENDS && !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG # runtime
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG if !BR2_PACKAGE_GNUPG2_DEPENDS # runtime
 	help
 	  A wrapper for the Gnu Privacy Guard (GPG or GnuPG).