diff --git a/Make.rules.in b/Make.rules.in
index 0c86aa16f10..b4020aa832e 100644
--- a/Make.rules.in
+++ b/Make.rules.in
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ STRIP     = @STRIP@
 WINDRES   = @WINDRES@
 LN        = @LN@
 LN_S      = @LN_S@
-TARGET    = @TARGET@
 TOOLSDIR  = @TOOLSDIR@
 AS        = @AS@
 LD        = @LD@
@@ -62,7 +61,8 @@ EXTRACFLAGS  = @EXTRACFLAGS@
 ALLCFLAGS    = $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS) $(DLLFLAGS) $(EXTRACFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(MODCFLAGS)
 ALLLINTFLAGS = $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS) $(LINTFLAGS)
 IDLFLAGS     = $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS) $(EXTRAIDLFLAGS)
-WINEBUILDFLAGS = $(DLLFLAGS) $(TARGET:%=--target %) --as-cmd "$(AS)"
+TARGETFLAGS  = @TARGETFLAGS@
+WINEBUILDFLAGS = $(TARGETFLAGS) $(DLLFLAGS) --as-cmd "$(AS)"
 MKINSTALLDIRS= $(TOPSRCDIR)/tools/mkinstalldirs -m 755
 WINAPI_CHECK = $(TOPSRCDIR)/tools/winapi/winapi_check
 WINEWRAPPER  = $(TOPSRCDIR)/tools/winewrapper
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 48603ae4a30..21acdc819ad 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ X_PRE_LIBS
 X_CFLAGS
 CPP
 XMKMF
-TARGET
+TARGETFLAGS
 TOOLSDIR
 WIN16_INSTALL
 WIN16_FILES
@@ -3932,7 +3932,7 @@ TOOLSDIR=$wine_cv_toolsdir
 
 if test "$cross_compiling" = "yes"
 then
-    TARGET="$host_alias"
+    TARGETFLAGS="-b $host_alias"
 
 fi
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1a84d6918af..9ef2bff9554 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ AC_CACHE_CHECK([for the directory containing the Wine tools], wine_cv_toolsdir,
 AC_SUBST(TOOLSDIR,$wine_cv_toolsdir)
 if test "$cross_compiling" = "yes"
 then
-    AC_SUBST(TARGET,"$host_alias")
+    AC_SUBST(TARGETFLAGS,"-b $host_alias")
 fi
 
 AC_PATH_XTRA
diff --git a/dlls/Makedll.rules.in b/dlls/Makedll.rules.in
index b043f9e474e..12be790dc80 100644
--- a/dlls/Makedll.rules.in
+++ b/dlls/Makedll.rules.in
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ all implib: $(IMPORTLIBFILE) $(IMPLIB_SRCS:%=__static_implib__%)
 $(IMPLIB_SRCS:%=__static_implib__%): $(STATICIMPLIB)
 
 $(SPEC_DEF) $(IMPORTLIB:%=lib%.def): $(MAINSPEC)
-	$(WINEBUILD) $(TARGET:%=--target %) -w --def -o $@ --export $(SRCDIR)/$(MAINSPEC)
+	$(WINEBUILD) $(TARGETFLAGS) -w --def -o $@ --export $(SRCDIR)/$(MAINSPEC)
 
 $(IMPORTLIB:%=lib%.def.a): $(IMPLIB_OBJS)
 	$(RM) $@