diff --git a/Config.in b/Config.in
index 1e8f9e28dbb..b9716e8b2c1 100644
--- a/Config.in
+++ b/Config.in
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ config EXTERNAL_KERNEL_TREE
 	prompt "Use external kernel tree" if DEVEL
 	default ""
 
+config BUILD_DEVELOPER_SYSTEM
+	bool "build a non-stripped system, so gcc can be run natively on target" if DEVEL
+	default n
+
 source "toolchain/Config.in"
 menuconfig BUILDSYSTEM_SETTINGS
     bool "Buildsystem settings" 
diff --git a/rules.mk b/rules.mk
index 6d6dab09bcf..7153a04c2d7 100644
--- a/rules.mk
+++ b/rules.mk
@@ -120,11 +120,15 @@ TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS:= \
   SIZE=$(TARGET_CROSS)size
 
 # strip an entire directory
-RSTRIP:= \
-  NM="$(TARGET_CROSS)nm" \
-  STRIP="$(STRIP)" \
-  STRIP_KMOD="$(TARGET_CROSS)strip --strip-unneeded --remove-section=.comment" \
-  $(SCRIPT_DIR)/rstrip.sh
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_BUILD_DEVELOPER_SYSTEM),)
+  RSTRIP:=:
+else
+  RSTRIP:= \
+    NM="$(TARGET_CROSS)nm" \
+    STRIP="$(STRIP)" \
+    STRIP_KMOD="$(TARGET_CROSS)strip --strip-unneeded --remove-section=.comment" \
+    $(SCRIPT_DIR)/rstrip.sh
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_ENABLE_LOCALE),true)
   DISABLE_NLS:=