diff --git a/security/heimdal/heimdal.conf b/security/heimdal/heimdal.conf
index b130b13f0..50f87d8b0 100644
--- a/security/heimdal/heimdal.conf
+++ b/security/heimdal/heimdal.conf
@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@ if pkginstalled -f sqlite; then
 	var_append extraconfopt ' ' "--with-sqlite3=$( pkgprefix -r sqlite )"
 fi
 
+# use system readline if available which also avoids the installation of the
+# included libeditline
+if pkginstalled -f readline; then
+	pkgprefix -t readline
+	var_append extraconfopt ' ' "--with-readline=$( pkgprefix -r readline )"
+fi
+
 var_append extraconfopt ' ' "--enable-shared"
 var_append extraconfopt ' ' "--libexecdir=$sbindir"