diff --git a/linux/linux.mk b/linux/linux.mk
index 51fd41fa15..dd182d06b2 100644
--- a/linux/linux.mk
+++ b/linux/linux.mk
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ LINUX_MAKE_ENV = \
 	BR_BINARIES_DIR=$(BINARIES_DIR)
 
 LINUX_INSTALL_IMAGES = YES
-LINUX_DEPENDENCIES = host-kmod
+LINUX_DEPENDENCIES = host-kmod \
+	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_INTEL_MICROCODE),intel-microcode)
 
 # Starting with 4.16, the generated kconfig paser code is no longer
 # shipped with the kernel sources, so we need flex and bison, but