diff --git a/meta/recipes-support/boost/boost.inc b/meta/recipes-support/boost/boost.inc
index 7a343e54f6..9ad23b279c 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-support/boost/boost.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-support/boost/boost.inc
@@ -49,8 +49,10 @@ BOOST_LIBS = "\
 	"
 
 # optional libraries
-PACKAGECONFIG ??= "locale python"
-PACKAGECONFIG[locale] = ",,icu"
+PACKAGECONFIG ??= "locale python icu"
+BOOST_LOCALE_ICU_DEP = "${@bb.utils.contains('PACKAGECONFIG', 'locale', 'icu', '', d)}"
+PACKAGECONFIG[locale] = ",,"
+PACKAGECONFIG[icu] = ",,${BOOST_LOCALE_ICU_DEP}"
 PACKAGECONFIG[graph_parallel] = ",,,boost-mpi mpich"
 PACKAGECONFIG[mpi] = ",,mpich"
 PACKAGECONFIG[python] = ",,python3"
@@ -148,7 +150,7 @@ BOOST_PARALLEL_MAKE = "${@oe.utils.parallel_make_argument(d, '-j%d')}"
 BJAM_OPTS    = '${BOOST_PARALLEL_MAKE} -d+2 -q \
 		${BJAM_TOOLS} \
 		-sBOOST_BUILD_USER_CONFIG=${WORKDIR}/user-config.jam \
-		-sICU_PATH=${STAGING_EXECPREFIXDIR} \
+		${@bb.utils.contains('PACKAGECONFIG', 'locale icu', '-sICU_PATH=${STAGING_EXECPREFIXDIR}', 'boost.locale.icu=off', d)} \
 		--build-dir=${B} \
 		--disable-icu \
 		${BJAM_EXTRA}'