diff --git a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
index 0e830fe4a..e5ab76d64 100755
--- a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
+++ b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class Gencontrol(Base):
         'packages': {
             'docs': config.SchemaItemBoolean(),
             'installer': config.SchemaItemBoolean(),
+            'libc-dev': config.SchemaItemBoolean(),
 
         }
     }
@@ -151,12 +152,16 @@ class Gencontrol(Base):
         else:
             headers_arch = self.templates["control.headers.arch"]
             packages_headers_arch = self.process_packages(headers_arch, vars)
+            packages_headers_arch[-1]['Depends'].extend(PackageRelation())
+            extra['headers_arch_depends'] = packages_headers_arch[-1]['Depends']
+
+        if self.config.merge('packages').get('libc-dev', True):
+            libc_dev = self.templates["control.libc-dev"]
+            packages_headers_arch[0:0] = self.process_packages(libc_dev, {})
+        else:
+            makeflags['DO_LIBC'] = False
 
-        libc_dev = self.templates["control.libc-dev"]
-        packages_headers_arch[0:0] = self.process_packages(libc_dev, {})
 
-        packages_headers_arch[-1]['Depends'].extend(PackageRelation())
-        extra['headers_arch_depends'] = packages_headers_arch[-1]['Depends']
 
         self.merge_packages(packages, packages_headers_arch, arch)
 
diff --git a/debian/rules.real b/debian/rules.real
index 62d80721d..403bfe0b8 100644
--- a/debian/rules.real
+++ b/debian/rules.real
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ MAKEOVERRIDES =
 ifneq ($(FOREIGN_KERNEL),True)
   binary-arch-arch: install-headers_$(ARCH)
 endif
-binary-arch-arch: install-libc-dev_$(ARCH)
+ifneq ($(DO_LIBC),False)
+  binary-arch-arch: install-libc-dev_$(ARCH)
+endif
 binary-arch-featureset: install-headers_$(ARCH)_$(FEATURESET)
 binary-arch-flavour: install-image_$(ARCH)_$(FEATURESET)_$(FLAVOUR)_$(TYPE)
 ifeq ($(DEBUG),True)