diff --git a/package/expat/expat.mk b/package/expat/expat.mk
index 5142342c48..17d95c72c8 100644
--- a/package/expat/expat.mk
+++ b/package/expat/expat.mk
@@ -23,3 +23,43 @@ $(eval $(call AUTOTARGETS,package,expat))
 $(EXPAT_HOOK_POST_INSTALL): $(EXPAT_TARGET_INSTALL_TARGET)
 	$(STRIPCMD) $(STRIP_STRIP_UNNEEDED) $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/libexpat.so.*
 	touch $@
+
+# expat for the host
+EXPAT_HOST_DIR:=$(BUILD_DIR)/expat-$(EXPAT_VERSION)-host
+EXPAT_HOST_BINARY:=$(HOST_DIR)/usr/lib/libexpat.a
+
+$(EXPAT_HOST_DIR)/.unpacked: $(DL_DIR)/$(EXPAT_SOURCE)
+	mkdir -p $(@D)
+	$(INFLATE$(suffix $(EXPAT_SOURCE))) $< | \
+		$(TAR) $(TAR_STRIP_COMPONENTS)=1 -C $(@D) $(TAR_OPTIONS) -
+	touch $@
+
+$(EXPAT_HOST_DIR)/.configured: $(EXPAT_HOST_DIR)/.unpacked
+	(cd $(@D); rm -rf config.cache; \
+		$(HOST_CONFIGURE_OPTS) \
+		CFLAGS="$(HOST_CFLAGS)" \
+		LDFLAGS="$(HOST_LDFLAGS)" \
+		$(@D)/configure \
+		--prefix=$(HOST_DIR)/usr \
+		--sysconfdir=$(HOST_DIR)/etc \
+	)
+	touch $@
+
+$(EXPAT_HOST_DIR)/.compiled: $(EXPAT_HOST_DIR)/.configured
+	$(MAKE) -C $(@D)
+	touch $@
+
+$(EXPAT_HOST_BINARY): $(EXPAT_HOST_DIR)/.compiled
+	$(MAKE) -C $(<D) installlib
+
+host-expat: $(EXPAT_HOST_BINARY)
+
+host-expat-source: expat-source
+
+host-expat-clean:
+	rm -f $(addprefix $(EXPAT_HOST_DIR)/,.unpacked .configured .compiled)
+	$(MAKE) -C $(EXPAT_HOST_DIR) uninstall
+	$(MAKE) -C $(EXPAT_HOST_DIR) clean
+
+host-expat-dirclean:
+	rm -rf $(EXPAT_HOST_DIR)