diff --git a/rbutil/mkamsboot/Makefile b/rbutil/mkamsboot/Makefile
index 37163600fc..70b79aa059 100644
--- a/rbutil/mkamsboot/Makefile
+++ b/rbutil/mkamsboot/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ endif
 
 # We use the UCL code available in the Rockbox tools/ directory
 CFLAGS=-I../../tools/ucl/include -Wall -DVERSION=\"$(APPVERSION)\"
-CC = gcc
 
 ifndef V
 SILENT = @
diff --git a/rbutil/mktccboot/Makefile b/rbutil/mktccboot/Makefile
index 14c184321c..61737651b7 100644
--- a/rbutil/mktccboot/Makefile
+++ b/rbutil/mktccboot/Makefile
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 TOOLSDIR=../../tools
 CFLAGS := -O -g -W -Wall -Wshadow -pedantic -I$(TOOLSDIR)
 
-CC = gcc
-
 ifndef V
 SILENT = @
 endif
diff --git a/rbutil/rbutilqt/rbutilqt.pro b/rbutil/rbutilqt/rbutilqt.pro
index 90949fcc43..b09bd19bab 100644
--- a/rbutil/rbutilqt/rbutilqt.pro
+++ b/rbutil/rbutilqt/rbutilqt.pro
@@ -39,17 +39,15 @@ LIBSPEEX = $$system(pkg-config --silence-errors --libs speex)
 }
 # custom rules for rockbox-specific libs
 !mac {
-rbspeex.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/tools/rbspeex librbspeex.a
-libucl.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/tools/ucl/src libucl.a
-libmkamsboot.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/rbutil/mkamsboot libmkamsboot.a
-libmktccboot.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/rbutil/mktccboot libmktccboot.a
+    RBLIBPOSTFIX = .a
 }
 mac {
-rbspeex.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/tools/rbspeex librbspeex-universal
-libucl.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/tools/ucl/src libucl-universal
-libmkamsboot.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/rbutil/mkamsboot libmkamsboot-universal
-libmktccboot.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/rbutil/mktccboot libmktccboot-universal
+    RBLIBPOSTFIX = -universal
 }
+rbspeex.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/tools/rbspeex librbspeex$$RBLIBPOSTFIX CC=\"$$QMAKE_CC\"
+libucl.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/tools/ucl/src libucl$$RBLIBPOSTFIX CC=\"$$QMAKE_CC\"
+libmkamsboot.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/rbutil/mkamsboot libmkamsboot$$RBLIBPOSTFIX CC=\"$$QMAKE_CC\"
+libmktccboot.commands = @$(MAKE) TARGET_DIR=$$MYBUILDDIR -C $$RBBASE_DIR/rbutil/mktccboot libmktccboot$$RBLIBPOSTFIX CC=\"$$QMAKE_CC\"
 QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += rbspeex libucl libmkamsboot libmktccboot
 PRE_TARGETDEPS += rbspeex libucl libmkamsboot libmktccboot
 
@@ -271,7 +269,7 @@ macx {
     QMAKE_LFLAGS_PPC=-mmacosx-version-min=10.4 -arch ppc
     QMAKE_LFLAGS_X86=-mmacosx-version-min=10.4 -arch i386
     CONFIG+=x86 ppc
-    LIBS += -L/usr/local/lib -framework IOKit
+    LIBS += -L/usr/local/lib -framework IOKit -lz
     INCLUDEPATH += /usr/local/include
     QMAKE_INFO_PLIST = Info.plist
     RC_FILE = icons/rbutilqt.icns
diff --git a/tools/rbspeex/Makefile b/tools/rbspeex/Makefile
index 87ce08f3e7..6385c8a869 100644
--- a/tools/rbspeex/Makefile
+++ b/tools/rbspeex/Makefile
@@ -22,10 +22,6 @@ CFLAGS = $(SPEEXOPTS) $(INCLUDES) -O3 -fomit-frame-pointer -Wno-unused-parameter
 ifeq ($(findstring CYGWIN,$(shell uname)),CYGWIN)
 CFLAGS+=-mno-cygwin
 endif
-# on mingw32, make sure CC is set to gcc
-ifeq ($(findstring MINGW,$(shell uname)),MINGW)
-CC = gcc
-endif
 
 ifdef RBARCH
 CFLAGS += -arch $(RBARCH)
diff --git a/tools/ucl/src/Makefile b/tools/ucl/src/Makefile
index 14ca1f35eb..018c29aa70 100644
--- a/tools/ucl/src/Makefile
+++ b/tools/ucl/src/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 # $Id$
 #
 CFLAGS = -I../include
-CC = gcc
 
 ifndef V
 SILENT = @