diff --git a/releases/portage/stages-qemu/package.use/releng/circular b/releases/portage/stages-qemu/package.use/releng/circular
index dba5609e..e1cef7eb 100644
--- a/releases/portage/stages-qemu/package.use/releng/circular
+++ b/releases/portage/stages-qemu/package.use/releng/circular
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 # this makes only a difference for the "desktop" stages
+dev-db/sqlite -icu
 dev-lang/python -bluetooth
diff --git a/releases/portage/stages/package.use/releng/circular b/releases/portage/stages/package.use/releng/circular
index dba5609e..e1cef7eb 100644
--- a/releases/portage/stages/package.use/releng/circular
+++ b/releases/portage/stages/package.use/releng/circular
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 # this makes only a difference for the "desktop" stages
+dev-db/sqlite -icu
 dev-lang/python -bluetooth