diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 2fca72cc170e5944b119c74351d8db205c525214..dec7db6add5f94c9268ee9177a4bb8b64197964b 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -33,28 +33,32 @@ pkgconfig_DATA          = data/libcapsule.pc data/libcapsule-tools.pc
 nobase_include_HEADERS  = capsule/capsule.h
 dist_doc_DATA           = $(foreach doc,$(static_docs),doc/$(doc).txt)
 
-bin_SCRIPTS             = data/$(host)-capsule-mkstublib
+if ENABLE_HOST_PREFIX
+bin_SCRIPTS             = data/$(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-mkstublib
 
 # Write out a version of capsule-mkstublib with different defaults
 # for each architecture
-data/$(host)-capsule-mkstublib: data/capsule-mkstublib Makefile
+data/$(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-mkstublib: data/capsule-mkstublib Makefile
 	$(AM_V_GEN)set -e; \
 	( \
 		sed -e 1q $<; \
 		echo '# Inserted by Makefile to make this architecture-specific'; \
-		echo ': "$${CAPSULE_SYMBOLS_TOOL:="$(bindir)/$(host)-capsule-symbols"}"';\
+		echo ': "$${CAPSULE_SYMBOLS_TOOL:="$(bindir)/$(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-symbols"}"';\
 		sed -e 1d $<; \
 	) > $@.tmp; chmod +x $@.tmp; mv $@.tmp $@
 
 install-exec-hook:
-	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && ln -f capsule-symbols $(host)-capsule-symbols
-	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && ln -f capsule-version $(host)-capsule-version
-	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && ln -f capsule-elf-dump $(host)-capsule-elf-dump
+	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && ln -f capsule-symbols $(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-symbols
+	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && ln -f capsule-version $(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-version
+	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && ln -f capsule-elf-dump $(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-elf-dump
 
 uninstall-hook:
-	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && rm -f $(host)-capsule-elf-dump
-	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && rm -f $(host)-capsule-symbols
-	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && rm -f $(host)-capsule-version
+	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && rm -f $(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-elf-dump
+	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && rm -f $(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-symbols
+	cd $(DESTDIR)$(bindir) && rm -f $(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-version
+else
+dist_bin_SCRIPTS            += data/capsule-mkstublib
+endif
 
 # Headers to be included by shim libraries
 nobase_include_HEADERS += capsule/capsule-shim.h \
@@ -369,7 +373,9 @@ $(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE): sgml-build.stamp
 # These need to come after we include gtk-doc.make, which unconditionally
 # defines these variables
 CLEANFILES             += $(testmeta_DATA)
-CLEANFILES             += data/$(host)-capsule-mkstublib
+if ENABLE_HOST_PREFIX
+CLEANFILES             += data/$(HOST_PREFIX)capsule-mkstublib
+endif
 CLEANFILES             += $(nodist_tests_shim_libnotgl_la_SOURCES)
 CLEANFILES             += $(nodist_tests_shim_libnotgles_la_SOURCES)
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 05ded36708d681296bed76aa9c8f55a04ac2f48f..85739dd78840b7d6299c550ddd2cc023bdeca362 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -66,6 +66,19 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBELF], [libelf >= 0.152], [have_libelf=yes], [
     LIBELF_LIBS=-lelf
 ])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([host-prefix],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-host-prefix=PREFIX/yes/no],
+    [install link to tools with a prefix [default=$host-]])],
+  [],
+  [enable_host_prefix=yes])
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_HOST_PREFIX], [test "x$enable_host_prefix" != xno])
+AS_IF([test "x$enable_host_prefix" = xyes],
+  [enable_host_prefix="$host-"])
+AS_IF([test "x$enable_host_prefix" = xno],
+  [enable_host_prefix=""])
+AC_SUBST([HOST_PREFIX], [$enable_host_prefix])
+
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([dlmopen], [dl])
 AC_PATH_PROG([XSLTPROC], [xsltproc])
 GTK_DOC_CHECK
diff --git a/data/libcapsule-tools.pc.in b/data/libcapsule-tools.pc.in
index 9e1a547a198aaaa64a4eb8193e604ab46eae0529..98d0d6bf385f5c78948abcb6d846763aad48d39f 100644
--- a/data/libcapsule-tools.pc.in
+++ b/data/libcapsule-tools.pc.in
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ datarootdir=@datarootdir@
 datadir=@datarootdir@
 makeinc=@datadir@/libcapsule
 CAPSULE_INIT_PROJECT_TOOL=@bindir@/capsule-init-project
-CAPSULE_MKSTUBLIB_TOOL=@bindir@/@host@-capsule-mkstublib
-CAPSULE_SYMBOLS_TOOL=@bindir@/@host@-capsule-symbols
-CAPSULE_VERSION_TOOL=@bindir@/@host@-capsule-version
+CAPSULE_MKSTUBLIB_TOOL=@bindir@/@HOST_PREFIX@capsule-mkstublib
+CAPSULE_SYMBOLS_TOOL=@bindir@/@HOST_PREFIX@capsule-symbols
+CAPSULE_VERSION_TOOL=@bindir@/@HOST_PREFIX@capsule-version
 
 Name: libcapsule-tools
 Description: segregated dynamic linking library - development tools
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 75ca8b14261a68cbb099bda84ada1712d3892cd1..06566c1c559051b2651039a59a58959993d5e9ab 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@
 %:
 	dh $@ --with autoreconf
 
-confflags = --libexecdir=\$${exec_prefix}/lib/libcapsule --enable-gtk-doc
+confflags = \
+	--enable-gtk-doc \
+	--enable-host-prefix=$(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE)- \
+	--libexecdir=\$${exec_prefix}/lib/libcapsule \
+	$(NULL)
 
 override_dh_auto_configure:
 	dh_auto_configure -- $(confflags)