diff --git a/net-misc/openvpn/openvpn-2.4_rc1-r1.ebuild b/net-misc/openvpn/openvpn-2.4_rc1-r1.ebuild
index bf0ecab55aba7..fb7d30df88715 100644
--- a/net-misc/openvpn/openvpn-2.4_rc1-r1.ebuild
+++ b/net-misc/openvpn/openvpn-2.4_rc1-r1.ebuild
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ REQUIRED_USE="static? ( !plugins !pkcs11 )
 	pkcs11? ( ssl )
 	!plugins? ( !pam !down-root )"
 
+# bug #601524
+REQUIRED_USE+=" inotify? ( plugins )"
+
 CDEPEND="
 	kernel_linux? (
 		iproute2? ( sys-apps/iproute2[-minimal] )
diff --git a/net-misc/openvpn/openvpn-9999.ebuild b/net-misc/openvpn/openvpn-9999.ebuild
index 8663ce9d2f72c..8e2e85fc66be6 100644
--- a/net-misc/openvpn/openvpn-9999.ebuild
+++ b/net-misc/openvpn/openvpn-9999.ebuild
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ REQUIRED_USE="static? ( !plugins !pkcs11 )
 	pkcs11? ( ssl )
 	!plugins? ( !pam !down-root )"
 
+# bug #601524
+REQUIRED_USE+=" inotify? ( plugins )"
+
 CDEPEND="
 	kernel_linux? (
 		iproute2? ( sys-apps/iproute2[-minimal] )