diff --git a/package/libvips/libvips.mk b/package/libvips/libvips.mk
index e7641fa8cd..729d5fb9e3 100644
--- a/package/libvips/libvips.mk
+++ b/package/libvips/libvips.mk
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ LIBVIPS_DEPENDENCIES = \
 	host-pkgconf expat libglib2 \
 	$(TARGET_NLS_DEPENDENCIES)
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_STATIC_LIBS),)
+LIBVIPS_CONF_OPTS += -Dmodules=enabled
+else
+LIBVIPS_CONF_OPTS += -Dmodules=disabled
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_GOBJECT_INTROSPECTION),y)
 LIBVIPS_CONF_OPTS += -Dintrospection=enabled
 LIBVIPS_DEPENDENCIES += gobject-introspection