diff --git a/depends/Makefile b/depends/Makefile
index ddf5b61734..54eecceee7 100644
--- a/depends/Makefile
+++ b/depends/Makefile
@@ -163,8 +163,6 @@ $(host_arch)_$(host_os)_native_toolchain?=$($(host_os)_native_toolchain)
 
 include funcs.mk
 
-binutils_path=$($($(host_arch)_$(host_os)_native_binutils)_prefixbin)
-
 final_build_id_long+=$(shell $(build_SHA256SUM) config.site.in)
 final_build_id+=$(shell echo -n "$(final_build_id_long)" | $(build_SHA256SUM) | cut -c-$(HASH_LENGTH))
 $(host_prefix)/.stamp_$(final_build_id): $(native_packages) $(packages)
@@ -204,10 +202,10 @@ $(host_prefix)/share/config.site : config.site.in $(host_prefix)/.stamp_$(final_
 	$(AT)sed -e 's|@HOST@|$(host)|' \
             -e 's|@CC@|$(host_CC)|' \
             -e 's|@CXX@|$(host_CXX)|' \
-            -e 's|@AR@|$(binutils_path)$(host_AR)|' \
-            -e 's|@RANLIB@|$(binutils_path)$(host_RANLIB)|' \
-            -e 's|@NM@|$(binutils_path)$(host_NM)|' \
-            -e 's|@STRIP@|$(binutils_path)$(host_STRIP)|' \
+            -e 's|@AR@|$(host_AR)|' \
+            -e 's|@RANLIB@|$(host_RANLIB)|' \
+            -e 's|@NM@|$(host_NM)|' \
+            -e 's|@STRIP@|$(host_STRIP)|' \
             -e 's|@build_os@|$(build_os)|' \
             -e 's|@host_os@|$(host_os)|' \
             -e 's|@CFLAGS@|$(strip $(host_CFLAGS) $(host_$(release_type)_CFLAGS))|' \
diff --git a/depends/hosts/darwin.mk b/depends/hosts/darwin.mk
index fb947bf337..646e97837a 100644
--- a/depends/hosts/darwin.mk
+++ b/depends/hosts/darwin.mk
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ LD64_VERSION=530
 
 OSX_SDK=$(SDK_PATH)/Xcode-$(XCODE_VERSION)-$(XCODE_BUILD_ID)-extracted-SDK-with-libcxx-headers
 
+darwin_native_binutils=native_cctools
+
 ifeq ($(strip $(FORCE_USE_SYSTEM_CLANG)),)
 # FORCE_USE_SYSTEM_CLANG is empty, so we use our depends-managed, pinned clang
 # from llvm.org
@@ -37,6 +39,16 @@ clangxx_prog=$(shell $(SHELL) $(.SHELLFLAGS) "command -v clang++")
 clang_resource_dir=$(shell clang -print-resource-dir)
 endif
 
+cctools_TOOLS=AR RANLIB STRIP NM LIBTOOL OTOOL INSTALL_NAME_TOOL
+
+# Make-only lowercase function
+lc = $(subst A,a,$(subst B,b,$(subst C,c,$(subst D,d,$(subst E,e,$(subst F,f,$(subst G,g,$(subst H,h,$(subst I,i,$(subst J,j,$(subst K,k,$(subst L,l,$(subst M,m,$(subst N,n,$(subst O,o,$(subst P,p,$(subst Q,q,$(subst R,r,$(subst S,s,$(subst T,t,$(subst U,u,$(subst V,v,$(subst W,w,$(subst X,x,$(subst Y,y,$(subst Z,z,$1))))))))))))))))))))))))))
+
+# For well-known tools provided by cctools, make sure that their well-known
+# variable is set to the full path of the tool, just like how AC_PATH_{TOO,PROG}
+# would.
+$(foreach TOOL,$(cctools_TOOLS),$(eval darwin_$(TOOL) = $$(build_prefix)/bin/$$(host)-$(call lc,$(TOOL))))
+
 # Flag explanations:
 #
 #     -mlinker-version
@@ -112,5 +124,4 @@ darwin_release_CXXFLAGS=$(darwin_release_CFLAGS)
 darwin_debug_CFLAGS=-O1
 darwin_debug_CXXFLAGS=$(darwin_debug_CFLAGS)
 
-darwin_native_binutils=native_cctools
 darwin_cmake_system=Darwin