diff --git a/package/icu/Config.in b/package/icu/Config.in
index 32f35b9d96..fde486b600 100644
--- a/package/icu/Config.in
+++ b/package/icu/Config.in
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_ICU
 	bool "icu"
+	depends on BR2_HOST_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8
 	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	depends on BR2_USE_WCHAR
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8
@@ -26,8 +27,9 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH
 
 endif
 
-comment "icu needs a toolchain w/ C++, wchar, threads, gcc >= 4.8"
+comment "icu needs a toolchain w/ C++, wchar, threads, gcc >= 4.8, host gcc >= 4.8"
 	depends on !BR2_BINFMT_FLAT
 	depends on !BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP || !BR2_USE_WCHAR || \
 		!BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS || \
-		!BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8
+		!BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8 || \
+		!BR2_HOST_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8