diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python/setup_py_skip_cross_import_check.patch b/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python/setup_py_skip_cross_import_check.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6ccdb948b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python/setup_py_skip_cross_import_check.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+This patch skips over the 'import check' setup.py does when building
+extensions.  This generally won't work when cross-compiling.
+
+Upstream-Status: Inappropriate [embedded-specific]
+
+Signed-off-by: Tom Zanussi <tom.zanussi@intel.com>
+
+Index: Python-2.7.2/setup.py
+===================================================================
+--- Python-2.7.2.orig/setup.py	2011-11-04 16:46:34.553796410 -0500
++++ Python-2.7.2/setup.py	2011-11-04 16:59:49.692802313 -0500
+@@ -287,6 +287,15 @@
+                           (ext.name, sys.exc_info()[1]))
+             self.failed.append(ext.name)
+             return
++
++        # If we're cross-compiling, we want to skip the import check
++        # i.e. we shouldn't be dynamically loading target shared libs
++        if os.environ.get('CROSS_COMPILE') is not None:
++            self.announce(
++                'WARNING: skipping import check for cross-compiled "%s"' %
++                ext.name)
++            return
++
+         # Workaround for Mac OS X: The Carbon-based modules cannot be
+         # reliably imported into a command-line Python
+         if 'Carbon' in ext.extra_link_args:
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python_2.6.6.bb b/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python_2.6.6.bb
index 77c0ff47b3..b3f79a377d 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python_2.6.6.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python_2.6.6.bb
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ SRC_URI = "\
   file://security_issue_2254_fix.patch \
   file://cgi_py.patch \
   file://remove_sqlite_rpath.patch \
+  file://setup_py_skip_cross_import_check.patch \
 "
 
 SRC_URI[md5sum] = "cf4e6881bb84a7ce6089e4a307f71f14"
@@ -62,6 +63,8 @@ do_compile() {
 	# then call do_install twice we get Makefile.orig == Makefile.sysroot
 	install -m 0644 Makefile Makefile.sysroot
 
+	export CROSS_COMPILE="${TARGET_PREFIX}"
+
 	oe_runmake HOSTPGEN=${STAGING_BINDIR_NATIVE}/pgen \
 		HOSTPYTHON=${STAGING_BINDIR_NATIVE}/python \
 		STAGING_LIBDIR=${STAGING_LIBDIR} \
@@ -83,6 +86,8 @@ do_install() {
 	# make install needs the original Makefile, or otherwise the inclues would
 	# go to ${D}${STAGING...}/...
 	install -m 0644 Makefile.orig Makefile
+
+	export CROSS_COMPILE="${TARGET_PREFIX}"
 	
 	oe_runmake HOSTPGEN=${STAGING_BINDIR_NATIVE}/pgen \
 		HOSTPYTHON=${STAGING_BINDIR_NATIVE}/python \