diff --git a/component/gdbm/buildout.cfg b/component/gdbm/buildout.cfg
index 2d4933bc3e5357f8a3b00d101af8d6a95a4439dc..04cf1745689eb43f56cf315fb2989a9d50fd1690 100644
--- a/component/gdbm/buildout.cfg
+++ b/component/gdbm/buildout.cfg
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ url = ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gdbm/gdbm-${:version}.tar.gz
 md5sum = 88770493c2559dc80b561293e39d3570
 configure-options =
   --disable-static
+  --enable-libgdbm-compat
 # install as parts/gdbm/include/gdbm/*.h etc. because some softwares
 # (eg. python's dbmmodule.c extension) assume the location like this.
 includedir = ${buildout:parts-directory}/${:_buildout_section_name_}/include