diff --git a/package/zxing-cpp/Config.in b/package/zxing-cpp/Config.in
index b72a00ec35f9..e5b8cfcdd8aa 100644
--- a/package/zxing-cpp/Config.in
+++ b/package/zxing-cpp/Config.in
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_STB
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON_PYBIND if BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON3
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP_READERS if !BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP_WRITERS
 	help
 	  ZXing-cpp (pronounced "zebra crossing") is an open-source,
 	  multi-format 1D/2D barcode image processing library
@@ -17,3 +18,19 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP
 	  compiles the C++ port.
 
 	  https://github.com/zxing-cpp/zxing-cpp
+
+if BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP_READERS
+	bool "readers support"
+	default y
+	help
+	  Build with readers (decoders) support
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP_WRITERS
+	bool "writers support"
+	default y
+	help
+	  Build with writers (encoders) support
+
+endif # BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP
diff --git a/package/zxing-cpp/zxing-cpp.mk b/package/zxing-cpp/zxing-cpp.mk
index 86a1ef96806d..077d7e75d3dd 100644
--- a/package/zxing-cpp/zxing-cpp.mk
+++ b/package/zxing-cpp/zxing-cpp.mk
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ ZXING_CPP_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
 ZXING_CPP_SUPPORTS_IN_SOURCE_BUILD = NO
 ZXING_CPP_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf stb
 ZXING_CPP_CONF_OPTS = \
-	-DBUILD_READERS=ON \
-	-DBUILD_WRITERS=ON \
 	-DBUILD_BLACKBOX_TESTS=OFF \
 	-DBUILD_UNIT_TESTS=OFF \
 	-DBUILD_DEPENDENCIES=LOCAL
@@ -28,4 +26,16 @@ else
 ZXING_CPP_CONF_OPTS += -DBUILD_PYTHON_MODULE=OFF
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP_READERS),y)
+ZXING_CPP_CONF_OPTS += -DBUILD_READERS=ON
+else
+ZXING_CPP_CONF_OPTS += -DBUILD_READERS=OFF
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_ZXING_CPP_WRITERS),y)
+ZXING_CPP_CONF_OPTS += -DBUILD_WRITERS=ON
+else
+ZXING_CPP_CONF_OPTS += -DBUILD_WRITERS=OFF
+endif
+
 $(eval $(cmake-package))