diff --git a/arch/arc/Makefile b/arch/arc/Makefile
index e2b991f75bc5..9cfd2ba7a12d 100644
--- a/arch/arc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arc/Makefile
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 
 KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := nsim_hs_defconfig
 
+ifeq ($(CROSS_COMPILE),)
+CROSS_COMPILE := $(call cc-cross-prefix, arc-linux- arceb-linux-)
+endif
+
 cflags-y	+= -fno-common -pipe -fno-builtin -mmedium-calls -D__linux__
 cflags-$(CONFIG_ISA_ARCOMPACT)	+= -mA7
 cflags-$(CONFIG_ISA_ARCV2)	+= -mcpu=hs38