diff --git a/common/xbps-src/libexec/build.sh b/common/xbps-src/libexec/build.sh
index 7c533c2a86..9d8a333527 100755
--- a/common/xbps-src/libexec/build.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/libexec/build.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@
 #   $2 - target pkgname (origin) to build [REQUIRED]
 #   $3 - xbps target [REQUIRED]
 #   $4 - cross target [OPTIONAL]
+#   $5 - internal [OPTIONAL]
 
-if [ $# -lt 3 -o $# -gt 4 ]; then
+if [ $# -lt 3 -o $# -gt 5 ]; then
     echo "$(basename $0): invalid number of arguments: pkgname targetpkg target [cross-target]"
     exit 1
 fi
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ readonly PKGNAME="$1"
 readonly TARGET_PKG="$2"
 readonly TARGET="$3"
 readonly XBPS_CROSS_BUILD="$4"
+readonly XBPS_CROSS_PREPARE="$5"
 
 for f in $XBPS_SHUTILSDIR/*.sh; do
     . $f
@@ -25,11 +27,15 @@ done
 setup_pkg "$PKGNAME" $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD
 show_pkg_build_options
 check_pkg_arch $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD
-install_cross_pkg $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD
+
+if [ -z "$XBPS_CROSS_PREPARE" ]; then
+    install_cross_pkg $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD || exit $?
+    prepare_cross_sysroot $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD || exit $?
+fi
 
 # Install dependencies from binary packages
 if [ "$PKGNAME" != "$TARGET_PKG" -o -z "$XBPS_SKIP_DEPS" ]; then
-    install_pkg_deps $PKGNAME $TARGET_PKG pkg $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD || exit $?
+    install_pkg_deps $PKGNAME $TARGET_PKG pkg $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD $XBPS_CROSS_PREPARE || exit $?
 fi
 
 # Fetch distfiles after installing required dependencies,
diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/build_dependencies.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/build_dependencies.sh
index 88704d7634..830269992a 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/build_dependencies.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/build_dependencies.sh
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ check_installed_pkg() {
 # Installs all dependencies required by a package.
 #
 install_pkg_deps() {
-    local pkg="$1" targetpkg="$2" target="$3" cross="$4"
+    local pkg="$1" targetpkg="$2" target="$3" cross="$4" cross_prepare="$5"
     local rval _realpkg curpkgdepname pkgn iver _props _exact
     local i j found rundep checkver
 
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ install_pkg_deps() {
             setup_pkg $pkg $cross
             msg_error "$pkgver: required target dependency '$i' cannot be resolved!\n"
         fi
-        exec env XBPS_BINPKG_EXISTS=1 $XBPS_LIBEXECDIR/build.sh $sourcepkg $pkg $target $cross || exit $?
+        exec env XBPS_BINPKG_EXISTS=1 $XBPS_LIBEXECDIR/build.sh $sourcepkg $pkg $target $cross $cross_prepare || exit $?
         ) || exit $?
         binpkg_deps+=("$i")
     done
diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/cross.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/cross.sh
index 0846ca4503..f04bdbb988 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/cross.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/cross.sh
@@ -22,49 +22,63 @@ remove_pkg_cross_deps() {
     rm -f $tmplogf
 }
 
+prepare_cross_sysroot() {
+    local cross="$1"
+
+    [ -z "$cross" -o "$cross" = "" ] && return 0
+
+    if [ ! -d ${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/var/db/xbps/keys ]; then
+        mkdir -p ${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/var/db/xbps/keys
+        cp ${XBPS_MASTERDIR}/var/db/xbps/keys/*.plist \
+            ${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/var/db/xbps/keys
+    fi
+
+    # Check for cross-vpkg-dummy available for the target arch, otherwise build it.
+    pkg_available cross-vpkg-dummy $cross
+    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+        $XBPS_LIBEXECDIR/build.sh cross-vpkg-dummy cross-vpkg-dummy pkg $cross init || return $?
+    fi
+
+    errlog=$(mktemp)
+    msg_normal "Installing $cross cross pkg: cross-vpkg-dummy ...\n"
+    $XBPS_INSTALL_XCMD -r $XBPS_CROSS_BASE -SAyd cross-vpkg-dummy &>$errlog
+    rval=$?
+    if [ $rval -ne 0 -a $rval -ne 17 ]; then
+        msg_red "failed to install cross-vpkg-dummy (error $rval)\n"
+        cat $errlog
+        rm -f $errlog
+        msg_error "cannot continue due to errors above\n"
+    fi
+    rm -f $errlog
+
+    return 0
+}
+
 install_cross_pkg() {
     local cross="$1" rval errlog
 
     [ -z "$cross" -o "$cross" = "" ] && return 0
 
-    source_file ${XBPS_CROSSPFDIR}/${cross}.sh
-
-    if [ -z "$CHROOT_READY" ]; then
-        echo "ERROR: chroot mode not activated (install a bootstrap)."
-        exit 1
-    elif [ -z "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
-        return 0
+    # Check if the cross compiler pkg is available in repos, otherwise build it.
+    msg_normal "Installing $cross cross compiler: cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET} ...\n"
+    pkg_available cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET}
+    rval=$?
+    if [ $rval -eq 0 ]; then
+        $XBPS_LIBEXECDIR/build.sh cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET} cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET} pkg || return $rval
     fi
 
-    # Install required pkgs for cross building.
-    if [ "$XBPS_TARGET" != "remove-autodeps" ]; then
-        errlog=$(mktemp)
-        check_installed_pkg cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET}-0.1_1
-        if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-            msg_normal "Installing cross pkg: cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET} ...\n"
-            $XBPS_INSTALL_CMD -Syd cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET} &>$errlog
-            rval=$?
-            if [ $rval -ne 0 -a $rval -ne 17 ]; then
-                msg_red "failed to install cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET} (error $rval)\n"
-                cat $errlog
-                rm -f $errlog
-                msg_error "cannot continue due to errors above\n"
-            fi
-        fi
-        if [ ! -d ${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/var/db/xbps/keys ]; then
-            mkdir -p ${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/var/db/xbps/keys
-            cp ${XBPS_MASTERDIR}/var/db/xbps/keys/*.plist \
-                ${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/var/db/xbps/keys
-        fi
-        $XBPS_INSTALL_CMD -r ${XBPS_CROSS_BASE} -SAyd cross-vpkg-dummy &>$errlog
-        rval=$?
-        if [ $rval -ne 0 -a $rval -ne 17 ]; then
-            msg_red "failed to install cross-vpkg-dummy (error $rval)\n"
-            cat $errlog
-            rm -f $errlog
-            msg_error "cannot continue due to errors above\n"
-        fi
+    errlog=$(mktemp)
+    $XBPS_INSTALL_CMD -Syd cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET} &>$errlog
+    rval=$?
+    if [ $rval -ne 0 -a $rval -ne 17 ]; then
+        msg_red "failed to install cross-${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET} (error $rval)\n"
+        cat $errlog
+        rm -f $errlog
+        msg_error "cannot continue due to errors above\n"
     fi
+    rm -f $errlog
+
+    return 0
 }
 
 remove_cross_pkg() {
diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/pkgtarget.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/pkgtarget.sh
index addd7eb060..c6befbe347 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/pkgtarget.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/pkgtarget.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,22 @@ check_pkg_arch() {
     fi
 }
 
+# Returns 1 if pkg is available in xbps repositories, 0 otherwise.
+pkg_available() {
+    local pkg="$1" cross="$2" pkgver
+
+    if [ -n "$cross" ]; then
+        pkgver=$($XBPS_QUERY_XCMD -R -ppkgver "${pkg}" 2>/dev/null)
+    else
+        pkgver=$($XBPS_QUERY_CMD -R -ppkgver "${pkg}" 2>/dev/null)
+    fi
+
+    if [ -z "$pkgver" ]; then
+        return 0
+    fi
+    return 1
+}
+
 remove_pkg_autodeps() {
     local rval= tmplogf=