diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index 087b66f0..d7006be4 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -690,11 +690,6 @@ USE_OSGPLUGIN(<plugin2>)
     </p>
     <pre>apt-get install g++-multilib libc6-dev-i386</pre>
 
-    <p>
-    Prior to Debian Jessie (8) or Ubuntu Utopic (14.10),
-    install <code>libtool</code> instead of <code>libtool-bin</code>.
-    </p>
-
     <p>
     Only the <a href="https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/">latest Debian stable series</a> is supported.
     </p>
diff --git a/plugins/native/darwin/overrides.mk b/plugins/native/darwin/overrides.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a34ed06a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/darwin/overrides.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# This file is part of MXE. See LICENSE.md for licensing information.
+
+# additional modifications to control native builds
+glib_DEPS_$(BUILD)      := glib2-macports
+gettext_DEPS_$(BUILD)   :=
+gettext_BUILD_$(BUILD)  :=
+libiconv_BUILD_$(BUILD) :=
diff --git a/plugins/native/gettext-deps.mk b/plugins/native/gettext-deps.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0d0fbe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/gettext-deps.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# This file is part of MXE. See LICENSE.md for licensing information.
+
+# native build of gettext requires recent autotools
+gettext_DEPS_$(BUILD) := $(gettext_DEPS_$(BUILD)) libtool
diff --git a/plugins/native/glib2-macports.mk b/plugins/native/glib2-macports.mk
index 536fd003..6e8ae04a 100644
--- a/plugins/native/glib2-macports.mk
+++ b/plugins/native/glib2-macports.mk
@@ -12,10 +12,6 @@ $(PKG)_URL      := https://packages.macports.org/glib2/glib2-$($(PKG)_VERSION)_0
 $(PKG)_DEPS     :=
 $(PKG)_TARGETS  := $(BUILD)
 
-glib_DEPS_$(BUILD)      := $(PKG)
-gettext_BUILD_$(BUILD)  :=
-libiconv_BUILD_$(BUILD) :=
-
 define $(PKG)_UPDATE
     echo 'manually update glib2-macports as necessary' >&2;
     echo $(glib2-macports_VERSION)
diff --git a/plugins/native/jessie/gettext-deps.mk b/plugins/native/jessie/gettext-deps.mk
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..5426ef95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/jessie/gettext-deps.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../gettext-deps.mk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/native/trusty/autoconf.mk b/plugins/native/trusty/autoconf.mk
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..8bfe07e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/trusty/autoconf.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../autoconf.mk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/native/trusty/automake.mk b/plugins/native/trusty/automake.mk
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..5bc30c05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/trusty/automake.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../automake.mk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/native/trusty/gettext-deps.mk b/plugins/native/trusty/gettext-deps.mk
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..5426ef95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/trusty/gettext-deps.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../gettext-deps.mk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/native/trusty/libtool.mk b/plugins/native/trusty/libtool.mk
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..9b5568f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/trusty/libtool.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../libtool.mk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/native/trusty/m4.mk b/plugins/native/trusty/m4.mk
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..fe3aad47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/trusty/m4.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../m4.mk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/native/wheezy/gettext-deps.mk b/plugins/native/wheezy/gettext-deps.mk
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..5426ef95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/native/wheezy/gettext-deps.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../gettext-deps.mk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/glib.mk b/src/glib.mk
index d70693de..731a98db 100644
--- a/src/glib.mk
+++ b/src/glib.mk
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ endef
 define $(PKG)_BUILD_$(BUILD)
     # glib tools need to be close to glib-cross version.
     # easy to build on linux, but error-prone on darwin (and freebsd?)
-    $(if $(findstring darwin, $(OS_SHORT_NAME)), \
+    $(if $(findstring darwin, $(BUILD)), \
         $($(PKG)_BUILD_DARWIN), \
         $($(PKG)_BUILD_NATIVE))
 endef