diff --git a/package/openldap/Config.in b/package/openldap/Config.in
index 1f0b1eabc3..3085a5c87e 100644
--- a/package/openldap/Config.in
+++ b/package/openldap/Config.in
@@ -10,6 +10,18 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENLDAP
 
 	  http://www.openldap.org/
 
+if BR2_PACKAGE_OPENLDAP
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_OPENLDAP_CLIENTS
+	bool "openldap client binaries"
+	default y
+	help
+	  Install the OpenLDAP client tools (ldapadd, ldapcompare, ldapdelete,
+	  ldapexop, ldapmodify, ldapmodrdn, ldappasswd, ldapsearch, ldapurl,
+	  ldapwhoami)
+
+endif
+
 comment "openldap needs a toolchain w/ wchar"
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU # needs fork()
 	depends on !BR2_USE_WCHAR
diff --git a/package/openldap/openldap.mk b/package/openldap/openldap.mk
index 332b2c4ddf..991d36953f 100644
--- a/package/openldap/openldap.mk
+++ b/package/openldap/openldap.mk
@@ -55,4 +55,16 @@ OPENLDAP_CONF_OPTS += \
 # executable it is supposed to install, resulting in an error.
 OPENLDAP_MAKE_ENV = STRIP="$(TARGET_STRIP)"
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_OPENLDAP_CLIENTS),)
+OPENLDAP_CLIENTS = \
+	ldapurl ldapexop ldapcompare ldapwhoami \
+	ldappasswd ldapmodrdn ldapdelete ldapmodify \
+	ldapsearch
+define OPENLDAP_REMOVE_CLIENTS
+	$(RM) -f $(foreach p,$(OPENLDAP_CLIENTS),$(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/$(p))
+	$(RM) -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/openldap
+endef
+OPENLDAP_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += OPENLDAP_REMOVE_CLIENTS
+endif
+
 $(eval $(autotools-package))