diff --git a/srcpkgs/libcap/template b/srcpkgs/libcap/template
index 9edcb46085b..7745f534e6c 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/libcap/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/libcap/template
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ pkgname=libcap
 version=2.25
 revision=1
 bootstrap=yes
-hostmakedepends="perl"
 makedepends="attr-devel"
 short_desc="POSIX.1e capabilities suite"
 maintainer="Juan RP <xtraeme@voidlinux.eu>"
@@ -12,8 +11,11 @@ license="GPL-2"
 distfiles="${KERNEL_SITE}/libs/security/linux-privs/libcap2/$pkgname-$version.tar.xz"
 checksum=693c8ac51e983ee678205571ef272439d83afe62dd8e424ea14ad9790bc35162
 
-if [ -z "$CROSS_BUILD" -a "$CHROOT_READY" ]; then
-	hostmakedepends=" gperf"
+if [ "$CHROOT_READY" ]; then
+	hostmakedepends="gperf"
+	if [ "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
+		hostmakedepends+=" perl"
+	fi
 fi
 
 do_configure() {