diff --git a/helpers/chroot.sh b/helpers/chroot.sh
index fd7633625bb..77f0653c6c4 100644
--- a/helpers/chroot.sh
+++ b/helpers/chroot.sh
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 REQDIRS="bin sbin tmp var sys proc dev xbps xbps_builddir \
-	 xbps_destdir xbps_srcdistdir"
+	 xbps_destdir xbps_srcdistdir xbps_crossdir"
 for f in ${REQDIRS}; do
 	[ ! -d $XBPS_MASTERDIR/$f ] && mkdir -p $XBPS_MASTERDIR/$f
 done
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ echo "XBPS_CXXFLAGS=\"\$XBPS_CFLAGS\"" >> $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/xbps.conf
 if [ -n "$XBPS_MAKEJOBS" ]; then
 	echo "XBPS_MAKEJOBS=$XBPS_MAKEJOBS" >> $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/xbps.conf
 fi
+if [ -n "$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET" -a -d "$XBPS_CROSS_DIR" ]; then
+	echo "XBPS_CROSS_TARGET=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET" >> \
+		$XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/xbps.conf
+	echo "XBPS_CROSS_DIR=/xbps_crossdir" >> $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/xbps.conf
+fi
 
 rebuild_ldso_cache()
 {
@@ -88,6 +93,11 @@ mount_chroot_fs()
 	local cnt=
 
 	REQFS="sys proc dev xbps xbps_builddir xbps_destdir xbps_srcdistdir"
+	if [ -d "$XBPS_CROSS_DIR" ]; then
+		local cross=yes
+		REQFS="$REQFS xbps_crossdir"
+	fi
+
 	for f in ${REQFS}; do
 		if [ ! -f $XBPS_MASTERDIR/.${f}_mount_bind_done ]; then
 			echo -n "=> Mounting $f in chroot... "
@@ -97,6 +107,9 @@ mount_chroot_fs()
 				xbps_builddir) blah=$XBPS_BUILDDIR;;
 				xbps_destdir) blah=$XBPS_DESTDIR;;
 				xbps_srcdistdir) blah=$XBPS_SRCDISTDIR;;
+				xbps_crossdir)
+					[ -n $cross ] && blah=$XBPS_CROSS_DIR
+					;;
 				*) blah=/$f;;
 			esac
 			mount --bind $blah $XBPS_MASTERDIR/$f
diff --git a/helpers/cross-compilation.sh b/helpers/cross-compilation.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8d6ac87c9c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helpers/cross-compilation.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#
+# This helper sets some required vars to be able to cross build
+# packages on xbps. The target is specified in the configuration file
+# and will be read any time the cross compilation flag is used.
+#
+[ -z "$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET" -o ! -d $XBPS_CROSS_DIR/bin ] && return 1
+
+# Check if all required bins are there.
+for bin in gcc g++ cpp ar as ranlib ld strip; do
+	if [ ! -x $XBPS_CROSS_DIR/bin/$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-${bin} ]; then
+		msg_error "cross-compilation: cannot find ${bin}, aborting."
+	fi
+done
+
+SAVE_PATH="$PATH"
+
+cross_compile_setvars()
+{
+	export CC=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-gcc
+	export CXX=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-g++
+	export CPP=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-cpp
+	export AR=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-ar
+	export AS=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-as
+	export RANLIB=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-ranlib
+	export LD=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-ld
+	export STRIP=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-strip
+	export PATH="$XBPS_CROSS_DIR/bin:$PATH"
+}
+
+cross_compile_unsetvars()
+{
+	unset CC CXX CPP AR AS RANLIB LD STRIP PATH
+	export PATH="$SAVE_PATH"
+}
+
+if [ "$build_style" = "gnu_configure" ]; then
+	configure_args="--build=$XBPS_CROSS_HOST --host=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET"
+	configure_args="$configure_args --target=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET"
+fi
diff --git a/templates/glibc32.tmpl b/templates/glibc32.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2a92637924e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/glibc32.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# Template file for 'glibc32'
+pkgname=glibc32
+version=2.8
+wrksrc="libc"
+distfiles="ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/other/glibc/glibc-2.8_20080828.tar.bz2"
+build_style=gnu_configure
+configure_script="../configure"
+configure_env="BUILD_CC=$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET-gcc"
+configure_args="--with-tls -disable-profile --with-__thread
+ --enable-kernel=2.6.16 --enable-add-ons --without-gd --enable-bind-now
+ --without-cvs --without-selinux --prefix=/usr --libdir=/usr/lib32
+ --with-headers=/usr/include --cache-file=config.cache
+ --infodir=/usr/share/info"
+make_install_target="install_root=$XBPS_DESTDIR/$pkgname-$version install"
+short_desc="The GNU C library (32 bits)"
+maintainer="Juan RP <xtraeme@gmail.com>"
+checksum=f5756668f201e093cae0404e59dcf8c43ccc07757fd0a7455298ed89126c366a
+long_desc="
+ The GNU C Library is the standard system C library for all GNU systems,
+ and is an important part of what makes up a GNU system.  It provides the
+ system API for all programs written in C and C-compatible languages such
+ as C++ and Objective C; the runtime facilities of other programming
+ languages use the C library to access the underlying operating system.
+
+ This version is only for 64 bits systems."
+
+cross_compiler=yes
+base_package=yes
+build_depends="perl-5.10.0"
+
+pre_configure()
+{
+	# We must configure it in another directory.
+	mkdir -p $wrksrc/build_obj && cd $wrksrc/build_obj
+	wrksrc=$wrksrc/build_obj
+	echo "slibdir=/lib32" > $wrksrc/configparms
+	echo "CFLAGS+=-march=${XBPS_CROSS_TARGET%%-*} -mtune=generic" \
+		>> $wrksrc/configparms
+	echo "libc_cv_forced_unwind=yes" > config.cache
+	echo "libc_cv_c_cleanup=yes" >> config.cache
+}
+
+pre_install()
+{
+	# Pre-create /lib32 and /usr/lib32 directories.
+	for f in lib32 usr/lib32; do
+		[ ! -d $XBPS_MASTERDIR/$f ] && mkdir -p $XBPS_MASTERDIR/$f
+	done
+}
+
+post_install()
+{
+	local destdir=$XBPS_DESTDIR/$pkgname-$version
+	local tmpdir=$XBPS_BUILDDIR/$pkgname-tmp
+
+	mkdir -p $tmpdir/usr/include/gnu
+	mkdir -p $tmpdir/usr/include/sys
+
+	# Remove all headers except the ones required for 32bits stuff.
+	mv -v $destdir/include/gnu/stubs-32.h $tmpdir/usr/include/gnu
+	mv -v $destdir/include/sys/elf.h $tmpdir/usr/include/sys
+	mv -v $destdir/include/sys/vm86.h $tmpdir/usr/include/sys
+
+	rm -rf $destdir/include
+	mkdir -p $destdir/usr/include
+	mv -v $tmpdir/usr/include/* $destdir/usr/include
+
+	# Remove bins and unneeded stuff for compat32.
+	[ -d $destdir/xbps_destdir ] && rm -rf $destdir/xbps_destdir
+	rm -rf $destdir/sbin $destdir/bin $destdir/usr/sbin $destdir/usr/bin
+	rm -rf $destdir/share $destdir/libexec $destdir/etc
+	mv -v $destdir/lib/gconv $destdir/usr/lib32
+
+	# Remove wrong symlinks in shared libs and move them to /lib32.
+	find $destdir/lib -type l -print|xargs rm -v
+	mv -v $destdir/lib/* $destdir/lib32
+	cd $destdir/lib && ln -s ../lib32/ld-linux.so.2 ld-linux.so.2
+
+	rm -rf $tmpdir
+}
diff --git a/xbps.conf b/xbps.conf
index 59d388c075c..36336d0fa47 100644
--- a/xbps.conf
+++ b/xbps.conf
@@ -39,3 +39,9 @@ XBPS_CXXFLAGS="$XBPS_CFLAGS"
 # Number of jobs when running GNU or BSD make style packages.
 #
 #XBPS_MAKEJOBS=4
+
+#
+# Cross compilation stuff.
+#
+#XBPS_CROSS_TARGET=i686-pc-linux-gnu
+#XBPS_CROSS_DIR=/storage/mktoolchain/$XBPS_CROSS_TARGET
diff --git a/xbps.sh b/xbps.sh
index 180693abfcc..bb179114934 100755
--- a/xbps.sh
+++ b/xbps.sh
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ trap "echo && exit 1" INT QUIT
 : ${progname:=$(basename $0)}
 : ${fetch_cmd:=wget}
 : ${xbps_machine:=$(uname -m)}
+: ${XBPS_CROSS_HOST:=$xbps_machine-pc-linux-gnu}
 
 usage()
 {
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@ reset_tmpl_vars()
 			postinstall_helpers make_install_target version \
 			tar_override_cmd xml_entries sgml_entries \
 			build_depends libtool_fixup_la_stage no_fixup_libtool \
-			disable_parallel_build run_depends \
+			disable_parallel_build run_depends cross_compiler \
 			XBPS_EXTRACT_DONE XBPS_CONFIGURE_DONE \
 			XBPS_BUILD_DONE XBPS_INSTALL_DONE"
 
@@ -685,6 +686,17 @@ configure_src_phase()
 	# Apply patches if requested by template file
 	[ ! -f $XBPS_APPLYPATCHES_DONE ] && apply_tmpl_patches
 
+	# cross compilation vars.
+	if [ -n "$cross_compiler" ]; then
+		. $XBPS_HELPERSDIR/cross-compilation.sh
+		cross_compile_setvars
+	else
+		if [ "$build_style" = "gnu_configure" ]; then
+			configure_args="$configure_args --host=${xbps_machine}-pc-linux-gnu"
+			configure_args="$configure_args --build=${xbps_machine}-pc-linux-gnu"
+		fi
+	fi
+
 	# Run pre_configure helpers.
 	run_func pre_configure
 
@@ -712,8 +724,6 @@ configure_src_phase()
 	#
 	if [ "$build_style" = "gnu_configure" ]; then
 		${configure_script}				\
-			--host=${xbps_machine}-linux-gnu	\
-			--build=${xbps_machine}-linux-gnu	\
 			--prefix=${_prefix} --sysconfdir=/etc	\
 			--infodir=$XBPS_DESTDIR/$pkgname-$version/usr/share/info \
 			--mandir=$XBPS_DESTDIR/$pkgname-$version/usr/share/man \
@@ -755,6 +765,9 @@ configure_src_phase()
 		unset eval ${f%=*}
 	done
 
+	# unset cross compiler vars.
+	[ -n "$cross_compiler" ] && cross_compile_unsetvars
+
 	unset_build_vars
 
 	touch -f $XBPS_CONFIGURE_DONE
@@ -784,6 +797,12 @@ build_src_phase()
 
 	cd $wrksrc || exit 1
 
+	# cross compilation vars.
+	if [ -n "$cross_compiler" ]; then
+		. $XBPS_HELPERSDIR/cross-compilation.sh
+		cross_compile_setvars
+	fi
+
 	[ -z "$make_cmd" ] && make_cmd=/usr/bin/make
 
 	#
@@ -821,6 +840,10 @@ build_src_phase()
 		-o "$libtool_fixup_la_stage" = "postbuild" ]; then
 		libtool_fixup_la_files
 	fi
+
+	# unset cross compiler vars.
+	[ -n "$cross_compiler" ] && cross_compile_unsetvars
+
 	unset_build_vars
 
 	touch -f $XBPS_BUILD_DONE
@@ -848,6 +871,12 @@ install_src_phase()
 
 	msg_normal "Running install phase for: $pkgname-$version."
 
+	# cross compilation vars.
+	if [ -n "$cross_compiler" ]; then
+		. $XBPS_HELPERSDIR/cross-compilation.sh
+		cross_compile_setvars
+	fi
+
 	if [ "$build_style" = "custom-install" ]; then
 		run_func do_install
 	else
@@ -859,6 +888,9 @@ install_src_phase()
 	#
 	run_func post_install
 
+	# unset cross compiler vars.
+	[ -n "$cross_compiler" ] && cross_compile_unsetvars
+
 	msg_normal "Installed $pkgname-$version into $XBPS_DESTDIR."
 
 	touch -f $XBPS_INSTALL_DONE