diff --git a/Config.in b/Config.in
index 670e199c0b..dbcca4c55a 100644
--- a/Config.in
+++ b/Config.in
@@ -736,6 +736,20 @@ config BR2_PER_PACKAGE_DIRECTORIES
 
 endmenu
 
+config BR2_TIME_BITS_64
+	bool "Build Y2038-ready code"
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_USES_GLIBC && !BR2_ARCH_IS_64
+	help
+	  This option will pass -D_TIME_BITS=64 in the compiler flags
+	  to ensure the glibc C library uses a 64-bit representation
+	  for time_t and other time types, which ensures that
+	  programs/libraries will correctly handle time past year
+	  2038.
+
+	  This option only has an effect with glibc >= 2.34, as
+	  earlier glibc versions did not have support for 64-bit
+	  time_t.
+
 comment "Security Hardening Options"
 
 config BR2_PIC_PIE_ARCH_SUPPORTS
diff --git a/package/Makefile.in b/package/Makefile.in
index 5c11cae732..9fbe960759 100644
--- a/package/Makefile.in
+++ b/package/Makefile.in
@@ -167,6 +167,9 @@ TARGET_HARDENED += -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=3
 endif
 
 TARGET_CPPFLAGS += -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
+ifeq ($(BR2_TIME_BITS_64),y)
+TARGET_CPPFLAGS += -D_TIME_BITS=64
+endif
 TARGET_CFLAGS = $(TARGET_CPPFLAGS) $(TARGET_ABI) $(TARGET_OPTIMIZATION) $(TARGET_DEBUGGING) $(TARGET_HARDENED)
 TARGET_CXXFLAGS = $(TARGET_CFLAGS)
 TARGET_FCFLAGS = $(TARGET_ABI) $(TARGET_OPTIMIZATION) $(TARGET_DEBUGGING)