diff --git a/make/linux/makefiles/build_vm_def.sh b/make/linux/makefiles/build_vm_def.sh
index 2b6f906eee83118384e3f7723e22ee6e2f285a3b..fb9a0d57a78748109a5e086da94f85e67cbe1277 100644
--- a/make/linux/makefiles/build_vm_def.sh
+++ b/make/linux/makefiles/build_vm_def.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 # If we're cross compiling use that path for nm
-if [ "$ALT_COMPILER_PATH" != "" ]; then 
+if [ "$CROSS_COMPILE_ARCH" != "" ]; then 
 NM=$ALT_COMPILER_PATH/nm
 else
 NM=nm
diff --git a/make/linux/makefiles/gcc.make b/make/linux/makefiles/gcc.make
index 1d7be454fd124eb69d74e7bd7f11ab5048e07fc3..aa879b10fc3adbeba5aff987124b7bdecad8a485 100644
--- a/make/linux/makefiles/gcc.make
+++ b/make/linux/makefiles/gcc.make
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # CC, CPP & AS
 
-ifdef ALT_COMPILER_PATH
+# When cross-compiling the ALT_COMPILER_PATH points
+# to the cross-compilation toolset
+ifdef CROSS_COMPILE_ARCH
 CPP = $(ALT_COMPILER_PATH)/g++
 CC  = $(ALT_COMPILER_PATH)/gcc
 else