diff --git a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
index 6f55302483..637c31c999 100644
--- a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
+++ b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
@@ -481,8 +481,6 @@ class linux(Board):
     def configure_env(self, cfg, env):
         super(linux, self).configure_env(cfg, env)
 
-        cfg.find_toolchain_program('pkg-config', var='PKGCONFIG')
-
         env.DEFINES.update(
             CONFIG_HAL_BOARD = 'HAL_BOARD_LINUX',
             CONFIG_HAL_BOARD_SUBTYPE = 'HAL_BOARD_SUBTYPE_LINUX_NONE',
diff --git a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/build_summary.py b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/build_summary.py
index 5607d40d62..792d9a7a96 100644
--- a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/build_summary.py
+++ b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/build_summary.py
@@ -214,7 +214,12 @@ information about the first %d targets will be printed.
 ''' % MAX_TARGETS)
 
 def configure(cfg):
-    cfg.find_toolchain_program('size', mandatory=False)
+    size_name = 'size'
+
+    if cfg.env.TOOLCHAIN != 'native':
+        size_name = cfg.env.TOOLCHAIN + '-' + size_name
+
+    cfg.find_program(size_name, var='SIZE', mandatory=False)
 
     if not cfg.env.BUILD_SUMMARY_HEADER:
         cfg.env.BUILD_SUMMARY_HEADER = [
diff --git a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/toolchain.py b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/toolchain.py
index a4e5ed0e1d..2d79c6aa7d 100644
--- a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/toolchain.py
+++ b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/toolchain.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from waflib import Errors, Context, Utils
 from waflib.Configure import conf
 from waflib.Tools import compiler_c, compiler_cxx
 from waflib.Tools import clang, clangxx, gcc, gxx
+from waflib.Tools import c_config
 from waflib import Logs
 
 import os
@@ -112,19 +113,19 @@ def _filter_supported_cxx_compilers(*compilers):
         l = compiler_cxx.cxx_compiler[k]
         compiler_cxx.cxx_compiler[k] = [c for c in compilers if c in l]
 
-@conf
-def find_toolchain_program(cfg, filename, **kw):
-    filename = Utils.to_list(filename)
+def _set_pkgconfig_crosscompilation_wrapper(cfg):
+    original_validatecfg = cfg.validate_cfg
 
-    if not kw.get('var', ''):
-        # just copy from the original implementation
-        kw['var'] = re.sub(r'[-.]', '_', filename[0].upper())
+    @conf
+    def new_validate_cfg(kw):
+        if not 'path' in kw:
+            if not cfg.env.PKGCONFIG:
+                cfg.find_program('%s-pkg-config' % cfg.env.TOOLCHAIN, var='PKGCONFIG')
+            kw['path'] = cfg.env.PKGCONFIG
 
-    if cfg.env.TOOLCHAIN != 'native':
-        for i, name in enumerate(filename):
-            filename[i] = '%s-%s' % (cfg.env.TOOLCHAIN, name)
+        original_validatecfg(kw)
 
-    return cfg.find_program(filename, **kw)
+    cfg.validate_cfg = new_validate_cfg
 
 def configure(cfg):
     _filter_supported_c_compilers('gcc', 'clang')
@@ -138,9 +139,10 @@ def configure(cfg):
 
         return
 
-    cfg.find_toolchain_program('ar')
-
     cfg.msg('Using toolchain', cfg.env.TOOLCHAIN)
+
+    _set_pkgconfig_crosscompilation_wrapper(cfg)
+    cfg.find_program('%s-ar' % cfg.env.TOOLCHAIN, var='AR', quiet=True)
     cfg.load('compiler_cxx compiler_c')
 
     if not cfg.options.disable_gccdeps: