diff --git a/package/network/services/dropbear/Makefile b/package/network/services/dropbear/Makefile
index 21ac09f724..e9cfa0a10a 100644
--- a/package/network/services/dropbear/Makefile
+++ b/package/network/services/dropbear/Makefile
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ CONFIGURE_ARGS += \
        $(if $(CONFIG_DROPBEAR_ZLIB),,--disable-zlib) \
        --enable-bundled-libtom

-TARGET_CFLAGS += -DARGTYPE=3 -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
+TARGET_CFLAGS += -DARGTYPE=3 -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -mbranch-cost=2
 TARGET_LDFLAGS += -Wl,--gc-sections

 define Build/Configure