diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5aac0c0c87..c9e54b15f7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ all::
 #
 # Define NO_MKDTEMP if you don't have mkdtemp in the C library.
 #
+# Define NO_SYS_SELECT_H if you don't have sys/select.h.
+#
 # Define NO_SYMLINK_HEAD if you never want .git/HEAD to be a symbolic link.
 # Enable it on Windows.  By default, symrefs are still used.
 #
@@ -635,6 +637,9 @@ ifdef NO_UNSETENV
 	COMPAT_CFLAGS += -DNO_UNSETENV
 	COMPAT_OBJS += compat/unsetenv.o
 endif
+ifdef NO_SYS_SELECT_H
+	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DNO_SYS_SELECT_H
+endif
 ifdef NO_MMAP
 	COMPAT_CFLAGS += -DNO_MMAP
 	COMPAT_OBJS += compat/mmap.o
diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index b6ef5442b7..4df90cb34e 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@
 #include <sys/poll.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
+#ifndef NO_SYS_SELECT_H
 #include <sys/select.h>
+#endif
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <regex.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>