diff --git a/arch/m68k/Makefile b/arch/m68k/Makefile
index 4a1bd44ff162..2cba605cb59d 100644
--- a/arch/m68k/Makefile
+++ b/arch/m68k/Makefile
@@ -13,16 +13,15 @@
 # Copyright (C) 1994 by Hamish Macdonald
 #
 
-# test for cross compiling
-COMPILE_ARCH = $(shell uname -m)
-
 # override top level makefile
 AS += -m68020
 LDFLAGS := -m m68kelf
 LDFLAGS_MODULE += -T $(srctree)/arch/m68k/kernel/module.lds
-ifneq ($(COMPILE_ARCH),$(ARCH))
-	# prefix for cross-compiling binaries
-	CROSS_COMPILE = m68k-linux-gnu-
+ifneq ($(SUBARCH),$(ARCH))
+	ifeq ($(CROSS_COMPILE),)
+		CROSS_COMPILE := $(call cc-cross-prefix, \
+			m68k-linux-gnu- m68k-linux- m68k-unknown-linux-gnu-)
+	endif
 endif
 
 ifdef CONFIG_SUN3