diff --git a/tools/configure b/tools/configure
index 7f3628b540..3e5331360b 100755
--- a/tools/configure
+++ b/tools/configure
@@ -4722,6 +4722,7 @@ fi
 
 if test "$ARG_ARM_THUMB" = "1"; then
   extradefines="$extradefines -DUSE_THUMB"
+  GCCOPTS="$GCCOPTS -mthumb-interwork"
   CC="$toolsdir/thumb-cc.py $CC"
 fi
 
diff --git a/tools/thumb-cc.py b/tools/thumb-cc.py
index 9e2b96c346..a7b31aead5 100755
--- a/tools/thumb-cc.py
+++ b/tools/thumb-cc.py
@@ -31,7 +31,11 @@ if '-o' in args and args.index('-o') < len(args) - 1:
     if len(args[args.index('-o') + 1].rsplit('.o', 1)) == 1:
         execv(args[0], args) # output doesn't end in .o
 
-args.append('-mthumb-interwork') # thumb-interwork is required
+# thumb-interwork is required; add if not present
+if '-mthumb-interwork' not in args:
+    args += ['-mthumb-interwork'];
+
+# Try to compile in thumb mode first
 gcc = Popen(args + ['-mthumb'], stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
 (out, err) = gcc.communicate()