diff --git a/package/beecrypt/beecrypt.mk b/package/beecrypt/beecrypt.mk
index a0187cee6c..7642c1b8e8 100644
--- a/package/beecrypt/beecrypt.mk
+++ b/package/beecrypt/beecrypt.mk
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ BEECRYPT_VERSION = 4.2.1
 BEECRYPT_SITE = http://$(BR2_SOURCEFORGE_MIRROR).dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/beecrypt
 BEECRYPT_AUTORECONF = YES
 BEECRYPT_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
+
+# beecrypt contains C++ code that g++ 4.7 doesn't really
+# like. Upstream does not seem to be really active, so workaround this
+# by passing -fpermissive.
+BEECRYPT_CONF_ENV = \
+	CXXFLAGS="$(TARGET_CXXFLAGS) -fpermissive"
+
 BEECRYPT_CONF_OPT = \
 		--without-java \
 		--without-python