diff -r d0cce5a2c0cf Makefile.pre.in
--- a/Makefile.pre.in	Thu Mar 15 22:19:28 2012 +0100
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in	Fri Mar 16 01:11:05 2012 +0100
@@ -193,6 +193,8 @@
 PYTHON=		python$(EXE)
 BUILDPYTHON=	python$(BUILDEXE)
 
+PYTHON_FOR_BUILD=@PYTHON_FOR_BUILD@
+
 # The task to run while instrument when building the profile-opt target
 PROFILE_TASK=	$(srcdir)/Tools/pybench/pybench.py -n 2 --with-gc --with-syscheck
 #PROFILE_TASK=	$(srcdir)/Lib/test/regrtest.py
@@ -441,6 +443,7 @@
 	$(MAKE) all CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS) -fprofile-generate" LIBS="$(LIBS) -lgcov"
 
 run_profile_task:
+	: # FIXME: can't run for a cross build
 	./$(BUILDPYTHON) $(PROFILE_TASK)
 
 build_all_use_profile:
@@ -457,18 +460,17 @@
 	$(LINKCC) $(PY_LDFLAGS) $(LINKFORSHARED) -o $@ Modules/python.o $(BLDLIBRARY) $(LIBS) $(MODLIBS) $(SYSLIBS) $(LDLAST)
 
 platform: $(BUILDPYTHON) $(SYSCONFIGDATA)
-	$(RUNSHARED) ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -E -c 'import sys ; from sysconfig import get_platform ; print(get_platform()+"-"+sys.version[0:3])' >platform
+	$(RUNSHARED) $(PYTHON_FOR_BUILD) -c 'import sys ; from sysconfig import get_platform ; print(get_platform()+"-"+sys.version[0:3])' >platform
 
 # Generate the sysconfig build-time data
 $(SYSCONFIGDATA): $(BUILDPYTHON)
-	$(RUNSHARED) ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -SE -m sysconfig --generate-posix-vars
+	$(RUNSHARED) $(PYTHON_FOR_BUILD) -S -m sysconfig --generate-posix-vars
 
 # Build the shared modules
 sharedmods: $(BUILDPYTHON) $(SYSCONFIGDATA)
-	@case $$MAKEFLAGS in \
-	*s*) $(RUNSHARED) CC='$(CC)' LDSHARED='$(BLDSHARED)' OPT='$(OPT)' ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -E $(srcdir)/setup.py -q build;; \
-	*) $(RUNSHARED) CC='$(CC)' LDSHARED='$(BLDSHARED)' OPT='$(OPT)' ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -E $(srcdir)/setup.py build;; \
-	esac
+	case $$MAKEFLAGS in *s*) quiet=-s; esac; \
+	$(RUNSHARED) CC='$(CC)' LDSHARED='$(BLDSHARED)' OPT='$(OPT)' \
+		$(PYTHON_FOR_BUILD) $(srcdir)/setup.py $$quiet build
 
 # Build static library
 # avoid long command lines, same as LIBRARY_OBJS
diff -r d0cce5a2c0cf configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac	Thu Mar 15 22:19:28 2012 +0100
+++ b/configure.ac	Fri Mar 16 01:11:05 2012 +0100
@@ -35,6 +35,27 @@
 
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
 
+if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([for python interpreter for cross build])
+    if test -z "$PYTHON_FOR_BUILD"; then
+        for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python; do
+	    which $interp >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
+	    if $interp -c 'import sys;sys.exit(not sys.version_info@<:@:2@:>@ >= (3,3))'; then
+	        break
+	    fi
+            interp=
+	done
+        if test x$interp = x; then
+	    AC_MSG_ERROR([python$PACKAGE_VERSION interpreter not found])
+	fi
+        AC_MSG_RESULT($interp)
+	PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='PYTHONPATH=$(srcdir)/Lib:$(srcdir)/Lib/plat-$(MACHDEP) '$interp
+    fi
+else
+    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='./$(BUILDPYTHON) -E'
+fi
+AC_SUBST(PYTHON_FOR_BUILD)
+
 dnl Ensure that if prefix is specified, it does not end in a slash. If
 dnl it does, we get path names containing '//' which is both ugly and
 dnl can cause trouble.
@@ -835,6 +856,10 @@
   esac
 fi
 
+if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
+	RUNSHARED=
+fi
+
 AC_MSG_RESULT($LDLIBRARY)
 
 AC_PROG_RANLIB