diff --git a/package/database/mysql_client/Config.in b/package/database/mysql_client/Config.in
index e13605801f..01cf71725f 100644
--- a/package/database/mysql_client/Config.in
+++ b/package/database/mysql_client/Config.in
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_MYSQL_CLIENT
 	bool "MySQL 5.1 client"
+	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES
+	select BR2_READLINE
 	help
 	  MySQL client
+
+comment "Mysql client requires a toolchain with C++ support enabled"
+	depends on !BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
diff --git a/package/database/mysql_client/mysql_client.mk b/package/database/mysql_client/mysql_client.mk
index 2b26dfb136..18e3b15250 100644
--- a/package/database/mysql_client/mysql_client.mk
+++ b/package/database/mysql_client/mysql_client.mk
@@ -8,21 +8,18 @@ MYSQL_CLIENT_SOURCE = mysql-$(MYSQL_CLIENT_VERSION).tar.gz
 MYSQL_CLIENT_SITE = http://mirrors.24-7-solutions.net/pub/mysql/Downloads/MySQL-5.1
 MYSQL_CLIENT_INSTALL_TARGET = YES
 MYSQL_CLIENT_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
-MYSQL_CLIENT_DEPENDENCIES = uclibc readline
+MYSQL_CLIENT_DEPENDENCIES = uclibc readline ncurses
 
 MYSQL_CLIENT_CONF_ENV = ac_cv_sys_restartable_syscalls=yes
 MYSQL_CLIENT_CONF_OPT = \
-	--target=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
-	--host=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
-	--build=$(GNU_HOST_NAME) \
 	--program-prefix="" \
-	--prefix=/usr \
 	--without-ndb-binlog \
 	--without-server \
 	--without-docs \
 	--without-man \
 	--without-readline \
 	--without-libedit \
+	--with-readline=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr \
 	--with-low-memory \
 	--enable-thread-safe-client \
 	$(ENABLE_DEBUG)