diff --git a/lang/php5/Makefile b/lang/php5/Makefile
index 8022f6315..d56890141 100644
--- a/lang/php5/Makefile
+++ b/lang/php5/Makefile
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS:= \
 	--disable-short-tags \
 	\
 	--without-gettext \
-	--disable-simplexml \
 	--with-zlib="$(STAGING_DIR)/usr" \
 	  --with-zlib-dir="$(STAGING_DIR)/usr" \
 	--with-pcre-regex="$(STAGING_DIR)/usr" \
@@ -283,6 +282,12 @@ else
   PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS+= --disable-session
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_PACKAGE_php5-mod-simplexml),)
+  PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS+= --enable-simplexml=shared
+else
+  PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS+= --disable-simplexml
+endif
+
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_PACKAGE_php5-mod-soap),)
   PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS+= --enable-soap=shared
 else