diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 933ffe20fd..20b5ecf174 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ export CXX
 export AR
 export RANLIB
 export HOST_CC
+export BUILD_CC
 export INSTALL
 export STRIP
 export DOWNLOAD
@@ -899,7 +900,7 @@ nmenuselect: menuselect/nmenuselect menuselect-tree menuselect.makeopts
 	-@menuselect/nmenuselect menuselect.makeopts && (echo "menuselect changes saved!"; rm -f channels/h323/Makefile.ast main/asterisk) || echo "menuselect changes NOT saved!"
 
 # options for make in menuselect/
-MAKE_MENUSELECT=CC="$(HOST_CC)" CXX="$(CXX)" LD="" AR="" RANLIB="" CFLAGS="" $(MAKE) -C menuselect CONFIGURE_SILENT="--silent"
+MAKE_MENUSELECT=CC="$(BUILD_CC)" CXX="" LD="" AR="" RANLIB="" CFLAGS="" $(MAKE) -C menuselect CONFIGURE_SILENT="--silent"
 
 menuselect/menuselect: menuselect/makeopts
 	+$(MAKE_MENUSELECT) menuselect
diff --git a/makeopts.in b/makeopts.in
index 841af16d0e..dba6d11355 100644
--- a/makeopts.in
+++ b/makeopts.in
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 CC=@PTHREAD_CC@
 HOST_CC=cc
+BUILD_CC=cc
 CXX=@CXX@
 
 INSTALL=@INSTALL@