diff --git a/make/buildsystem-helpers.mk b/make/buildsystem-helpers.mk
index fe2b9482..73c85224 100644
--- a/make/buildsystem-helpers.mk
+++ b/make/buildsystem-helpers.mk
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ define PREPARE
 	$(call DEPENDENCIES)
 	$(call DOWNLOAD,$($(PKG)_SOURCE))
 	$(if $(filter $(1),$(PKG_NO_EXTRACT)),,$(call EXTRACT,$(BUILD_DIR)))
-	$(if $(filter $(1),$(PKG_NO_PATCHES)),,$(call APPLY_PATCHES,$(PKG_PATCHES_DIR)))
+	$(if $(filter $(1),$(PKG_NO_PATCHES)),,$(call APPLY_PATCHES,$($(PKG)_PATCH)))
 endef
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/package/pkg-utils.mk b/package/pkg-utils.mk
index 49ca8352..8fa35996 100644
--- a/package/pkg-utils.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-utils.mk
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ PKG_PATCHES_DIR = $(PACKAGE_DIR)/$(subst host-,,$(pkgname))/patches
 # check for necessary $(PKG) variables
 define PKG_CHECK_VARIABLES
 
+# patch
+ifndef $(PKG)_PATCH
+  $(PKG)_PATCH = $(PKG_PATCHES_DIR)
+endif
+
 # autoreconf
 ifndef $(PKG)_AUTORECONF
   $(PKG)_AUTORECONF = NO