diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index e27d0613..bfc898d4 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 #
 ################################################################################
 
-TARGET_MAKE_ENV =
+TARGET_MAKE_ENV = \
+	PATH=$(PATH)
 
 define TARGET_MAKE_BUILD_CMDS_DEFAULT
 	$(CHDIR)/$($(PKG)_DIR)/$($(PKG)_SUBDIR); \
@@ -46,7 +47,12 @@ endef
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-HOST_MAKE_ENV =
+HOST_MAKE_ENV = \
+	PATH=$(PATH) \
+	PKG_CONFIG=/usr/bin/pkg-config \
+	PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR=$(HOST_DIR)/lib \
+	PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$(HOST_DIR)/lib/pkgconfig \
+	PKG_CONFIG_SYSROOT_DIR="/"
 
 define HOST_MAKE_BUILD_CMDS_DEFAULT
 	$(CHDIR)/$($(PKG)_DIR)/$($(PKG)_SUBDIR); \
diff --git a/package/pkg-kernel-module.mk b/package/pkg-kernel-module.mk
index fe60955d..9ae501f7 100644
--- a/package/pkg-kernel-module.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-kernel-module.mk
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@
 #
 ################################################################################
 
+# while the kernel is built for the target, the build may need various
+# host libraries depending on config (and version), so use
+# HOST_MAKE_ENV here. In particular, this ensures that our
+# host-pkgconf will look for host libraries and not target ones.
+LINUX_MAKE_ENV = \
+	$(HOST_MAKE_ENV)
+
 KERNEL_MAKE_VARS = \
 	ARCH=$(TARGET_ARCH) \
 	CROSS_COMPILE=$(TARGET_CROSS) \
@@ -22,7 +29,7 @@ KERNEL_MODULE_MAKE_VARS = \
 
 define KERNEL_MODULE_BUILD_CMDS_DEFAULT
 	$(CHDIR)/$($(PKG)_DIR)/$($(PKG)_SUBDIR); \
-		$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $($(PKG)_MAKE_ENV) \
+		$(LINUX_MAKE_ENV) $($(PKG)_MAKE_ENV) \
 		$($(PKG)_MAKE) $($(PKG)_MAKE_ARGS) \
 			$(KERNEL_MODULE_MAKE_VARS) \
 			$($(PKG)_MAKE_OPTS)
@@ -37,7 +44,7 @@ endef
 
 define KERNEL_MODULE_INSTALL_CMDS_DEFAULT
 	$(CHDIR)/$($(PKG)_DIR)/$($(PKG)_SUBDIR); \
-		$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $($(PKG)_MAKE_INSTALL_ENV) \
+		$(LINUX_MAKE_ENV) $($(PKG)_MAKE_INSTALL_ENV) \
 		$($(PKG)_MAKE_INSTALL) $($(PKG)_MAKE_INSTALL_ARGS) \
 			$(KERNEL_MODULE_MAKE_VARS) \
 			$($(PKG)_MAKE_INSTALL_OPTS)