diff --git a/net-misc/bird/bird-2.0.8.ebuild b/net-misc/bird/bird-2.0.8.ebuild
index 648b65a..a33d144 100644
--- a/net-misc/bird/bird-2.0.8.ebuild
+++ b/net-misc/bird/bird-2.0.8.ebuild
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ LICENSE="GPL-2"
 
 SLOT="0"
 KEYWORDS="amd64 ~arm64 ~x86 ~x64-macos"
-IUSE="+client debug libssh"
+IUSE="+client debug libssh lto"
 
 RDEPEND="
 	client? ( sys-libs/ncurses:= )
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ RDEPEND="
 		acct-group/bird
 		acct-user/bird
 	)
-	libssh? ( net-libs/libssh:= )"
+	libssh? ( net-libs/libssh:= )
+"
 BDEPEND="
 	sys-devel/bison
 	sys-devel/flex
@@ -39,7 +40,12 @@ src_configure() {
 		--localstatedir="${EPREFIX}/var" \
 		$(use_enable client) \
 		$(use_enable debug) \
-		$(use_enable libssh)
+		$(use_enable libssh) \
+		$(use !lto && echo bird_cv_c_lto=no)
+}
+
+src_compile() {
+	emake VERBOSE=1
 }
 
 src_install() {
diff --git a/net-misc/bird/metadata.xml b/net-misc/bird/metadata.xml
index 3d13261..ec6aebe 100644
--- a/net-misc/bird/metadata.xml
+++ b/net-misc/bird/metadata.xml
@@ -19,5 +19,6 @@
 			Enables <pkg>net-libs/libssh</pkg> binding, mendatory for RPKI
 			support
 		</flag>
+		<flag name="lto">Build with Link Time Optimization (LTO)</flag>
 	</use>
 </pkgmetadata>