diff --git a/package/mosquitto/Config.in b/package/mosquitto/Config.in
index 068f2386e1..08223bc5db 100644
--- a/package/mosquitto/Config.in
+++ b/package/mosquitto/Config.in
@@ -101,6 +101,13 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_SYS
 	  Enable the $SYS/# tree structure, to export broker status as
 	  MQTT topics.
 
+config BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_CONTROL
+	bool "$CONTROL tree support"
+	default y  # legacy
+	help
+	  Enable the $CONTROL/# tree structure, to control the broker
+	  via messages posted to, or retrieved from, MQTT topics.
+
 config BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_PLUGIN_STATIC_PASSWD
 	bool "static password file plugin"
 	default y
diff --git a/package/mosquitto/mosquitto.mk b/package/mosquitto/mosquitto.mk
index 89a90470e1..06de7fc2af 100644
--- a/package/mosquitto/mosquitto.mk
+++ b/package/mosquitto/mosquitto.mk
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ MOSQUITTO_CONF_OPTS += \
 	-DWITH_PLUGIN_ACL_FILE=$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_PLUGIN_STATIC_ACL),ON,OFF) \
 	-DWITH_PLUGIN_DYNAMIC_SECURITY=$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_DYNAMIC_SECURITY_PLUGIN),ON,OFF) \
 	-DINC_BRIDGE_SUPPORT=$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_BRIDGE),ON,OFF) \
-	-DWITH_SYS_TREE=$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_SYS),ON,OFF)
+	-DWITH_SYS_TREE=$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_SYS),ON,OFF) \
+	-DWITH_CONTROL=$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_CONTROL),ON,OFF)
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_MOSQUITTO_BROKER_HTTP_API),y)
 MOSQUITTO_DEPENDENCIES += libmicrohttpd