diff --git a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
index 2655c9b1e6..051a403f14 100644
--- a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
+++ b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ class Board:
     abstract = True
 
     def configure(self, cfg):
+        cfg.load('toolchain')
+        cfg.load('compiler_cxx compiler_c')
+
         env = waflib.ConfigSet.ConfigSet()
         self.configure_env(cfg, env)
 
@@ -46,9 +49,6 @@ class Board:
             else:
                 cfg.env[k] = val
 
-        cfg.load('toolchain')
-        cfg.load('compiler_cxx compiler_c')
-
     def configure_env(self, cfg, env):
         # Use a dictionary instead of the convetional list for definitions to
         # make easy to override them. Convert back to list before consumption.