diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/builder.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/builder.nix
index 98525b5e237e..25c564633865 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/builder.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/builder.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 { lib
 , stdenv
 , enableMultilib
+, targetConfig
 }:
 
 let
@@ -196,6 +197,13 @@ originalAttrs: (stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: originalAttrs // {
     mkdir -p "$out/''${targetConfig}/lib"
     mkdir -p "''${!outputLib}/''${targetConfig}/lib"
   '' +
+  # if cross-compiling, link from $lib/lib to $lib/${targetConfig}.
+  # since native-compiles have $lib/lib as a directory (not a
+  # symlink), this ensures that in every case we can assume that
+  # $lib/lib contains the .so files
+  lib.optionalString (with stdenv; targetPlatform.config != hostPlatform.config) ''
+    ln -Ts "''${!outputLib}/''${targetConfig}/lib" $lib/lib
+  '' +
   # Make `lib64` symlinks to `lib`.
   lib.optionalString (!enableMultilib && stdenv.hostPlatform.is64bit && !stdenv.hostPlatform.isMips64n32) ''
     ln -s lib "$out/''${targetConfig}/lib64"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/libgcc.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/libgcc.nix
index c8342ae90054..a7de840adc8d 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/libgcc.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/libgcc.nix
@@ -83,10 +83,6 @@ in
     lib.optionalString (!langC) ''
       rm -f $out/lib/libgcc_s.so*
     ''
-    + lib.optionalString (hostPlatform != targetPlatform) ''
-      mkdir -p $lib/lib/
-      ln -s ${targetPlatformSlash}lib $lib/lib
-    ''
 
     # TODO(amjoseph): remove the `libgcc_s.so` symlinks below and replace them
     # with a `-L${gccForLibs.libgcc}/lib` in cc-wrapper's
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/default.nix
index cc3546bed22c..0144ab4cfff9 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/default.nix
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ let inherit version;
     disableBootstrap = atLeast11 && !stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin && (atLeast12 -> !profiledCompiler);
 
     inherit (stdenv) buildPlatform hostPlatform targetPlatform;
+    targetConfig = if targetPlatform != hostPlatform then targetPlatform.config else null;
 
     patches = callFile ./patches {};
 
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ let inherit version;
         buildPlatform
         hostPlatform
         targetPlatform
+        targetConfig
         patches
         crossMingw
         stageNameAddon
@@ -329,7 +331,7 @@ lib.pipe ((callFile ./common/builder.nix {}) ({
     ++ optional (is7 && targetPlatform.isAarch64) "--enable-fix-cortex-a53-843419"
     ++ optional (is7 && targetPlatform.isNetBSD) "--disable-libcilkrts";
 
-  targetConfig = if targetPlatform != hostPlatform then targetPlatform.config else null;
+  inherit targetConfig;
 
   buildFlags =
     # we do not yet have Nix-driven profiling