diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d8407dbda..cc918a5fc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -805,9 +805,23 @@ if (NOT CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
     message(STATUS "Could NOT find Readline (this is NOT an error)")
   else()
     message(STATUS "Found Readline: ${READLINE_INCLUDE_DIR} ${READLINE_LIBRARY}")
-    target_link_libraries(tg_cli PRIVATE ${READLINE_LIBRARY})
-    target_include_directories(tg_cli SYSTEM PRIVATE ${READLINE_INCLUDE_DIR})
-    target_compile_definitions(tg_cli PRIVATE -DUSE_READLINE=1)
+    if (NOT USABLE_READLINE_FOUND)
+      set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES "${READLINE_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+      set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES "${READLINE_LIBRARY}")
+      include(CheckCXXSourceCompiles)
+      unset(USABLE_READLINE_FOUND CACHE)
+      check_cxx_source_compiles("#include <stdio.h>\n#include <readline/readline.h>\nint main() { rl_free(0); }" USABLE_READLINE_FOUND)
+      if (NOT USABLE_READLINE_FOUND)
+        message(STATUS "Found Readline is too old, ignore it (this is NOT an error)")
+        unset(READLINE_INCLUDE_DIR CACHE)
+        unset(READLINE_LIBRARY CACHE)
+      endif()
+    endif()
+    if (USABLE_READLINE_FOUND)
+      target_link_libraries(tg_cli PRIVATE ${READLINE_LIBRARY})
+      target_include_directories(tg_cli SYSTEM PRIVATE ${READLINE_INCLUDE_DIR})
+      target_compile_definitions(tg_cli PRIVATE -DUSE_READLINE=1)
+    endif()
   endif()
   target_link_libraries(tg_cli PRIVATE memprof tdclient tdcore tdtl)
   add_dependencies(tg_cli tl_generate_json)