diff --git a/tools/rockboxdev.sh b/tools/rockboxdev.sh
index a55ad8df3d..72c883bbce 100755
--- a/tools/rockboxdev.sh
+++ b/tools/rockboxdev.sh
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ gccpatch="" # default is no gcc patch
 gccver="4.0.3" # default gcc version
 binutils="2.16.1" # The binutils version to use
 gccconfigure="" #default is nothing added to configure
+binutilsconf="" #default is nothing added to configure
 
 system=`uname -s`
 gccurl="http://www.rockbox.org/gcc"
@@ -183,6 +184,8 @@ case $arch in
     gccver="4.1.2"
     binutils="2.17"
     gccconfigure="--disable-libssp"
+    binutilsconf="--disable-werror"
+    # necessary to make binutils build on gcc 4.3+
     case $system in
       Interix)
         gccpatch="gcc-4.1.2-interix.diff"
@@ -268,7 +271,7 @@ mkdir build-binu
 echo "ROCKBOXDEV: cd build-binu"
 cd build-binu
 echo "ROCKBOXDEV: binutils/configure"
-../binutils-$binutils/configure --target=$target --prefix=$prefix/$target
+../binutils-$binutils/configure --target=$target --prefix=$prefix/$target $binutilsconf
 echo "ROCKBOXDEV: binutils/make"
 $make
 echo "ROCKBOXDEV: binutils/make install to $prefix/$target"