diff --git a/tools/ucl/src/Makefile b/tools/ucl/src/Makefile
index 1a8bf714fa..4481550dfc 100644
--- a/tools/ucl/src/Makefile
+++ b/tools/ucl/src/Makefile
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@ OBJS = alloc.o io.o n2b_99.o n2b_d.o n2b_ds.o n2b_to.o n2d_99.o	\
 	n2d_d.o n2d_ds.o n2d_to.o n2e_99.o n2e_d.o n2e_ds.o n2e_to.o ucl_crc.o	\
 	ucl_dll.o ucl_init.o ucl_ptr.o ucl_str.o ucl_util.o
 
+# we don't use $(AR) and $(RANLIB) below since we want the _native_ tools
+# not the cross-compiler tools
 $(TARGET): $(OBJS)
-	$(SILENT)$(AR) ruv $@ $(OBJS) >/dev/null 2>&1
-	$(SILENT)$(RANLIB) $@
-
+	$(SILENT)ar ruv $@ $(OBJS) >/dev/null 2>&1
+	$(SILENT)ranlib $@
 
 clean:
 	rm -f $(OBJS) $(TARGET)