diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 65ebb93..fa711e2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1201,7 +1201,7 @@
 
 .PHONY: ${CRTTOOL}
 ${CRTTOOL}:
-	${Q}${MAKE} PLAT=${PLAT} USE_TBBR_DEFS=${USE_TBBR_DEFS} COT=${COT} --no-print-directory -C ${CRTTOOLPATH}
+	${Q}${MAKE} PLAT=${PLAT} USE_TBBR_DEFS=${USE_TBBR_DEFS} COT=${COT} OPENSSL_DIR=${OPENSSL_DIR} --no-print-directory -C ${CRTTOOLPATH}
 	@${ECHO_BLANK_LINE}
 	@echo "Built $@ successfully"
 	@${ECHO_BLANK_LINE}
@@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@
 
 .PHONY: ${ENCTOOL}
 ${ENCTOOL}:
-	${Q}${MAKE} PLAT=${PLAT} BUILD_INFO=0 --no-print-directory -C ${ENCTOOLPATH}
+	${Q}${MAKE} PLAT=${PLAT} BUILD_INFO=0 OPENSSL_DIR=${OPENSSL_DIR} --no-print-directory -C ${ENCTOOLPATH}
 	@${ECHO_BLANK_LINE}
 	@echo "Built $@ successfully"
 	@${ECHO_BLANK_LINE}
diff --git a/docs/getting_started/build-options.rst b/docs/getting_started/build-options.rst
index bfc50df..630d861 100644
--- a/docs/getting_started/build-options.rst
+++ b/docs/getting_started/build-options.rst
@@ -721,6 +721,10 @@
   bit, to trap access to the RAS ERR and RAS ERX registers from lower ELs.
   This flag is disabled by default.
 
+- ``OPENSSL_DIR``: This flag is used to provide the installed openssl directory
+  path on the host machine which is used to build certificate generation and
+  firmware encryption tool.
+
 GICv3 driver options
 --------------------
 
diff --git a/make_helpers/defaults.mk b/make_helpers/defaults.mk
index 9a6fd58..caf5990 100644
--- a/make_helpers/defaults.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/defaults.mk
@@ -308,3 +308,6 @@
 
 # Build option to create cot descriptors using fconf
 COT_DESC_IN_DTB			:= 0
+
+# Build option to provide openssl directory path
+OPENSSL_DIR			:= /usr