diff --git a/package/gcc/gcc-initial/gcc-initial.mk b/package/gcc/gcc-initial/gcc-initial.mk
index bc5ad2632..4470477a1 100644
--- a/package/gcc/gcc-initial/gcc-initial.mk
+++ b/package/gcc/gcc-initial/gcc-initial.mk
@@ -24,11 +24,24 @@ HOST_GCC_INITIAL_SUBDIR = build
 
 HOST_GCC_INITIAL_PRE_CONFIGURE_HOOKS += HOST_GCC_CONFIGURE_SYMLINK
 
+# gcc on ARC has a bug: in its libgcc, even when no C library is
+# available (--with-newlib is passed, and therefore inhibit_libc is
+# defined), it tries to use the C library for the libgmon
+# library. Since it's not needed in gcc-initial, we disabled it here.
+ifeq ($(BR2_GCC_VERSION_4_8_ARC),y)
+define HOST_GCC_INITIAL_DISABLE_LIBGMON
+	$(SED) 's/crtbeginS.o libgmon.a crtg.o/crtbeginS.o crtg.o/' \
+		$(@D)/libgcc/config.host
+endef
+HOST_GCC_INITIAL_POST_PATCH_HOOKS += HOST_GCC_INITIAL_DISABLE_LIBGMON
+endif
+
 HOST_GCC_INITIAL_CONF_OPT = \
 	$(HOST_GCC_COMMON_CONF_OPT) \
 	--enable-languages=c \
 	--disable-shared \
 	--without-headers \
+	--disable-threads \
 	--with-newlib \
 	--disable-largefile \
 	--disable-nls \
@@ -37,7 +50,10 @@ HOST_GCC_INITIAL_CONF_OPT = \
 HOST_GCC_INITIAL_CONF_ENV = \
 	$(HOST_GCC_COMMON_CONF_ENV)
 
-HOST_GCC_INITIAL_MAKE_OPT = all-gcc
-HOST_GCC_INITIAL_INSTALL_OPT = install-gcc
+# We need to tell gcc that the C library will be providing the ssp
+# support, as it can't guess it since the C library hasn't been built
+# yet (we're gcc-initial).
+HOST_GCC_INITIAL_MAKE_OPT = $(if $(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_SSP),gcc_cv_libc_provides_ssp=yes) all-gcc all-target-libgcc
+HOST_GCC_INITIAL_INSTALL_OPT = install-gcc install-target-libgcc
 
 $(eval $(host-autotools-package))
diff --git a/package/glibc/glibc.mk b/package/glibc/glibc.mk
index 4cbca8857..0f634451d 100644
--- a/package/glibc/glibc.mk
+++ b/package/glibc/glibc.mk
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ define GLIBC_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 		$(SHELL) $(@D)/$(GLIBC_SRC_SUBDIR)/configure \
 		ac_cv_path_BASH_SHELL=/bin/bash \
 		libc_cv_forced_unwind=yes \
+		libc_cv_ssp=no \
 		--target=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
 		--host=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
 		--build=$(GNU_HOST_NAME) \
@@ -127,6 +128,3 @@ define GLIBC_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
 endef
 
 $(eval $(autotools-package))
-
-# Before (e)glibc is built, we must have the second stage cross-compiler
-$(GLIBC_TARGET_BUILD): | host-gcc-intermediate
diff --git a/package/musl/musl.mk b/package/musl/musl.mk
index 63607f952..2eccb3da4 100644
--- a/package/musl/musl.mk
+++ b/package/musl/musl.mk
@@ -68,6 +68,3 @@ define MUSL_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
 endef
 
 $(eval $(generic-package))
-
-# Before musl is built, we must have the second stage cross-compiler
-$(MUSL_TARGET_BUILD): | host-gcc-intermediate
diff --git a/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk b/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
index c68dc5627..31ff47b3e 100644
--- a/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
+++ b/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
@@ -534,6 +534,3 @@ define UCLIBC_INSTALL_STAGING_CMDS
 endef
 
 $(eval $(kconfig-package))
-
-# Before uClibc is built, we must have the second stage cross-compiler
-$(UCLIBC_TARGET_BUILD): | host-gcc-intermediate