diff --git a/debian/arch/alpha/defines b/debian/arch/alpha/defines
index 31a79e033..908021d60 100644
--- a/debian/arch/alpha/defines
+++ b/debian/arch/alpha/defines
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 [base]
+compiler: gcc-3.3
 flavours: alpha-generic alpha-smp
 suggests: aboot, fdutils
 
diff --git a/debian/arch/arm/defines b/debian/arch/arm/defines
index 02432cefb..75b1a06d5 100644
--- a/debian/arch/arm/defines
+++ b/debian/arch/arm/defines
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 [base]
+compiler: gcc-3.3
 flavours:
  footbridge
  ixp4xx
diff --git a/debian/arch/m68k/defines b/debian/arch/m68k/defines
index a897f7cb8..38b4ad199 100644
--- a/debian/arch/m68k/defines
+++ b/debian/arch/m68k/defines
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 [base]
+compiler: gcc-3.3
 flavours:
  amiga
  atari
diff --git a/debian/arch/sparc/defines b/debian/arch/sparc/defines
index 4345251cc..222d1d44f 100644
--- a/debian/arch/sparc/defines
+++ b/debian/arch/sparc/defines
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 [base]
+compiler: gcc-3.3
 flavours: sparc64 sparc64-smp
 kpkg-subarch: sparc64
 suggests: silo, fdutils
diff --git a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
index e0a1bb5bd..2565fdd9b 100755
--- a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
+++ b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
@@ -320,8 +320,9 @@ def process_real_flavour(packages, makefile, config, arch, subarch, flavour, var
         makefile.append(("%s-%s-%s-%s:: %s-%s-%s-%s-real" % (i, arch, subarch, flavour, i, arch, subarch, flavour), None))
 
     makeflags['FLAVOUR'] = flavour
-    if config_entry.has_key('kpkg-subarch'):
-        makeflags['KPKG_SUBARCH'] = config_entry['kpkg-subarch']
+    for i in (('compiler', 'COMPILER'), ('kpkg-subarch', 'KPKG_SUBARCH')):
+        if config_entry.has_key(i[0]):
+            makeflags[i[1]] = config_entry[i[0]]
     makeflags_string = ' '.join(["%s='%s'" % i for i in makeflags.iteritems()])
 
     cmds_binary_arch = []
@@ -413,8 +414,9 @@ def process_real_subarch(packages, makefile, config, arch, subarch, vars, makefl
         makefile.append(("%s-%s-%s:: %s-%s-%s-real" % (i, arch, subarch, i, arch, subarch), None))
 
     makeflags['SUBARCH'] = subarch
-    if config_entry.has_key('kpkg-subarch'):
-        makeflags['KPKG_SUBARCH'] = config_entry['kpkg-subarch']
+    for i in (('compiler', 'COMPILER'), ('kpkg-subarch', 'KPKG_SUBARCH')):
+        if config_entry.has_key(i[0]):
+            makeflags[i[1]] = config_entry[i[0]]
     makeflags_string = ' '.join(["%s='%s'" % i for i in makeflags.iteritems()])
 
     cmds_binary_arch = []
diff --git a/debian/lib/python/debian_linux.py b/debian/lib/python/debian_linux.py
index d522f8051..7c62ac32e 100644
--- a/debian/lib/python/debian_linux.py
+++ b/debian/lib/python/debian_linux.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class config(dict):
         'arches': schema_item_list,
         'available': schema_item_boolean,
         'class': schema_item_string,
+        'compiler': schema_item_string,
         'depends': schema_item_string,
         'desc': schema_item_string,
         'flavours': schema_item_list,
diff --git a/debian/rules.real b/debian/rules.real
index d01a65d8e..a4f67921a 100644
--- a/debian/rules.real
+++ b/debian/rules.real
@@ -16,10 +16,8 @@ DEB_BUILD_ARCH    := $(shell dpkg-architecture -a$(ARCH) -qDEB_BUILD_ARCH)
 #
 ifeq ($(SUBARCH),none)
   basedir := debian/arch/$(ARCH)
-  append  := 
 else
   basedir := debian/arch/$(ARCH)/$(SUBARCH)
-  append  := $(SUBARCH)-
 endif
 
 configs := $(notdir $(wildcard $(basedir)/config.*))
@@ -40,7 +38,7 @@ include debian/rules.defs
 # replaced by the flavour for which the command is run. 
 #
 kpkg_header := HEADER_CLEAN_HOOK='$(CURDIR)/$(BUILD_DIR)/header-install-$(ARCH)-$(SUBARCH)'
-kpkg_header += make-kpkg --append-to-version "$(append)$(KPKG_ABINAME)"
+kpkg_header += make-kpkg --append-to-version "$(KPKG_ABINAME)"
 kpkg_header += --arch $(ARCH)
 kpkg_header += --stem linux
 kpkg_header += --config defconfig
@@ -57,11 +55,11 @@ ifneq ($(DEB_BUILD_ARCH),$(DEB_HOST_ARCH))
 endif
 setup_env := env -u ABINAME -u ARCH -u SUBARCH -u FLAVOUR -u VERSION
 setup_env += DEBIAN_ABINAME=$(ABINAME) DEBIAN_FLAVOUR=$(FLAVOUR) DEBIAN_VERSION=$(VERSION)
-ifdef build_makeflags
-  setup_env += MAKEFLAGS=$(build_makeflags)
-else
-  setup_env += MAKEFLAGS=
+setup_makeflags =
+ifdef COMPILER
+  setup_makeflags += CC=$(COMPILER)
 endif
+setup_env += MAKEFLAGS="$(setup_makeflags)"
 ifndef headers_dirs
   headers_dirs = $(DEB_HOST_ARCH)
 endif
@@ -82,11 +80,7 @@ setup-subarch: $(STAMPS_DIR)/setup-$(ARCH)-$(SUBARCH)
 setup-flavour: $(STAMPS_DIR)/setup-$(ARCH)-$(SUBARCH)-$(FLAVOUR)
 
 $(BUILD_DIR)/header-install-$(ARCH)-$(SUBARCH): $(TEMPLATES_DIR)/header-install.in
-	sed -e 's,@kbpkg@,$(kbpkg),g'				\
-	    -e 's,@ksource_dir@,$(CURDIR)/$(kdir),g'		\
-	    -e 's,@flavours@,$(flavours),g'			\
-	    -e 's,@headers_dirs@,$(headers_dirs),g'		\
-            $< > $@
+	sed -e 's,@headers_dirs@,$(headers_dirs),g' $< > $@
 	chmod u+x $@
 #
 # The way to make the correct package names is to make a
@@ -99,7 +93,6 @@ else
 endif
 $(BUILD_DIR)/post-install-$(ARCH)-$(SUBARCH): $(TEMPLATES_DIR)/post-install.in
 	sed -e 's,@initrd_modules@,$(initrd_modules),'			\
-	    -e 's,@append_subarch@,$(append),'				\
 	    -e 's,@extra_postinstall_command@,$(extra_command),'	\
 	    -e 's,@headers_dirs@,$(headers_dirs),g'			\
 	    $< > $@
diff --git a/debian/templates/header-install.in b/debian/templates/header-install.in
index 8bb78a85c..3e3830b3b 100644
--- a/debian/templates/header-install.in
+++ b/debian/templates/header-install.in
@@ -11,10 +11,6 @@ set -e
 # archs do some *very* strange things...
 rm -rf scripts
 
-# Let's add the flavours that are built for a given arch.
-# XXX: will probably need rethinking once the common headers are Arch: all.
-echo @flavours@ >flavours
-
 # XXX: once we're using a linux-headers-$(version)-$(debnum) that's Arch: all,
 # we'll want to drop this bit of code.  The asm-* directories should remain.
 
diff --git a/debian/templates/post-install.in b/debian/templates/post-install.in
index a1175e9d8..3ee13d4f1 100644
--- a/debian/templates/post-install.in
+++ b/debian/templates/post-install.in
@@ -30,11 +30,8 @@ debhelper_post() {
 # prefix is then used to form a destination directory
 # to link to. For cases with subarch we need to link
 # to linux-headers-$(subarch)-$(version)-$(abiname),
-# not just linux-headers-$(version)-$(abiname). Note
-# that the append_subarch substitution must contain a
-# trailing dash, if it is non-empty.
+# not just linux-headers-$(version)-$(abiname).
 #
-append='@append_subarch@'
 prefix=$DEBIAN_VERSION-$DEBIAN_ABINAME
 pkg=linux-headers-$prefix-$DEBIAN_FLAVOUR
 top=$PWD/debian/$pkg