diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/eglibc/eglibc_2.16.bb b/meta/recipes-core/eglibc/eglibc_2.16.bb
index aa9256c..0047c1c 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/eglibc/eglibc_2.16.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/eglibc/eglibc_2.16.bb
@@ -87,6 +87,17 @@ EXTRA_OECONF = "--enable-kernel=${OLDEST_KERNEL} \
 
 EXTRA_OECONF += "${@get_libc_fpu_setting(bb, d)}"
 
+# eglibc can't be built without optimization, if someone tries to compile an
+# entire image as -O0, we override it with -O2 here and give a note about it.
+def get_optimization(d):
+    if base_contains("SELECTED_OPTIMIZATION", "-O0", "x", "", d) == "x":
+        bb.note("eglibc can't be built with -O0, -O2 will be used instead.")
+        selected_optimization = d.getVar("SELECTED_OPTIMIZATION", True)
+        return selected_optimization.replace("-O0", "-O2")
+    return selected_optimization
+
+SELECTED_OPTIMIZATION := "${@get_optimization(d)}"
+
 do_unpack_append() {
     bb.build.exec_func('do_move_ports', d)
 }