diff --git a/rules.mk b/rules.mk
index cc7904ac72..dcac49667b 100644
--- a/rules.mk
+++ b/rules.mk
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_BUILD_LOG),y)
 endif
 
 export BISON_PKGDATADIR:=$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/share/bison
+export HOST_GNULIB_SRCDIR:=$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/share/gnulib
 export M4:=$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/m4
 
 define shvar
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index 7e8fbad107..3bf94827cf 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ tools-y += findutils
 tools-y += firmware-utils
 tools-y += flex
 tools-y += gengetopt
+tools-y += gnulib
 tools-y += libressl
 tools-y += libtool
 tools-y += lzma
diff --git a/tools/gnulib/Makefile b/tools/gnulib/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c5b7e78c54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/gnulib/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
+
+PKG_NAME:=gnulib
+PKG_CPE_ID:=cpe:/a:gnu:$(PKG_NAME)
+PKG_VERSION:=f9a4ee73c3e7b544f640d0d04b55983d3a7b894e# # master
+
+PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
+PKG_SOURCE_URL:=https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/$(PKG_NAME).git/snapshot
+PKG_HASH:=514716d58987a9c0de0d69fb22d42bcd19edf80eed099882a004ff162060f1a8
+
+include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
+
+define Host/Configure
+endef
+
+define Host/Install
+	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/share/gnulib
+	$(CP) $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/* $(1)/share/gnulib/
+endef
+
+define Host/Clean
+	rm -rf $(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/share/gnulib
+endef
+
+$(eval $(call HostBuild))
diff --git a/tools/gnulib/patches/000-bootstrap.patch b/tools/gnulib/patches/000-bootstrap.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..40ed41125c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/gnulib/patches/000-bootstrap.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+--- a/build-aux/bootstrap
++++ b/build-aux/bootstrap
+@@ -237,14 +237,14 @@ test -r "$conffile" && . "$conffile"
+ 
+ check_exists() {
+   if test "$1" = "--verbose"; then
+-    ($2 --version </dev/null) >/dev/null 2>&1
++    ($2 $3 $4 --version </dev/null) >/dev/null 2>&1
+     if test $? -ge 126; then
+       # If not found, run with diagnostics as one may be
+       # presented with env variables to set to find the right version
+-      ($2 --version </dev/null)
++      ($2 $3 $4 --version </dev/null)
+     fi
+   else
+-    ($1 --version </dev/null) >/dev/null 2>&1
++    ($@ --version </dev/null) >/dev/null 2>&1
+   fi
+ 
+   test $? -lt 126
+@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ p
+ q'
+ 
+ get_version() {
+-  app=$1
++  app="$@"
+ 
+   $app --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || { $app --version; return 1; }
+ 
+@@ -366,13 +366,13 @@ check_versions() {
+     if [ "$req_ver" = "-" ]; then
+       # Merely require app to exist; not all prereq apps are well-behaved
+       # so we have to rely on $? rather than get_version.
+-      if ! check_exists --verbose $app; then
++      if ! check_exists --verbose "$app"; then
+         warn_ "Error: '$app' not found"
+         ret=1
+       fi
+     else
+       # Require app to produce a new enough version string.
+-      inst_ver=$(get_version $app)
++      inst_ver=$(get_version "$app")
+       if [ ! "$inst_ver" ]; then
+         warn_ "Error: '$app' not found"
+         ret=1
+@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ autogen()
+   # two just-pre-run programs.
+ 
+   # Import from gettext.
+-  with_gettext=yes
++  with_gettext=no
+   grep '^[	 ]*AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION(' configure.ac >/dev/null || \
+       with_gettext=no
+