diff --git a/platform/mellanox/docker-syncd-mlnx.mk b/platform/mellanox/docker-syncd-mlnx.mk
index 990ec0f7a4..81d27aacea 100644
--- a/platform/mellanox/docker-syncd-mlnx.mk
+++ b/platform/mellanox/docker-syncd-mlnx.mk
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 DOCKER_SYNCD_MLNX = docker-syncd-mlnx.gz
 $(DOCKER_SYNCD_MLNX)_PATH = $(PLATFORM_PATH)/docker-syncd-mlnx
-$(DOCKER_SYNCD_MLNX)_DEPENDS += $(SYNCD) $(MFT)
+$(DOCKER_SYNCD_MLNX)_DEPENDS += $(SYNCD) $(MFT) $(PYTHON_SDK_API)
 $(DOCKER_SYNCD_MLNX)_FILES += $(MLNX_FW)
 $(DOCKER_SYNCD_MLNX)_LOAD_DOCKERS += $(DOCKER_BASE)
 SONIC_DOCKER_IMAGES += $(DOCKER_SYNCD_MLNX)
diff --git a/platform/mellanox/sdk.mk b/platform/mellanox/sdk.mk
index b8a8e1bbc0..06b71f6847 100644
--- a/platform/mellanox/sdk.mk
+++ b/platform/mellanox/sdk.mk
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ SXD_LIBS_DEV = sxd-libs-dev_1.mlnx.$(MLNX_SDK_VERSION)_amd64.deb
 $(eval $(call add_derived_package,$(SXD_LIBS),$(SXD_LIBS_DEV)))
 SXD_LIBS_DEV_STATIC = sxd-libs-dev-static_1.mlnx.$(MLNX_SDK_VERSION)_amd64.deb
 $(eval $(call add_derived_package,$(SXD_LIBS),$(SXD_LIBS_DEV_STATIC)))
+#packages that are required for runtime only
+PYTHON_SDK_API = python-sdk-api_1.mlnx.$(MLNX_SDK_VERSION)_amd64.deb
 
 define make_url
 	$(1)_URL = $(MLNX_SDK_BASE_URL)/$(1)
@@ -45,5 +47,6 @@ endef
 
 $(eval $(foreach deb,$(MLNX_SDK_DEBS),$(call make_url,$(deb))))
 $(eval $(foreach deb,$(MLNX_SDK_RDEBS),$(call make_url,$(deb))))
+$(eval $(foreach deb,$(PYTHON_SDK_API),$(call make_url,$(deb))))
 
-SONIC_ONLINE_DEBS += $(MLNX_SDK_RDEBS)
+SONIC_ONLINE_DEBS += $(MLNX_SDK_RDEBS) $(PYTHON_SDK_API)