diff --git a/projects/gnu.org/gcc/package.yml b/projects/gnu.org/gcc/package.yml
index 39785079..0d71f46a 100644
--- a/projects/gnu.org/gcc/package.yml
+++ b/projects/gnu.org/gcc/package.yml
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ build:
       CFLAGS: $CFLAGS -fPIC
       CXXFLAGS: $CXXFLAGS -fPIC
     darwin:
+      # just so binutils doesn't step on them
+      AR: /usr/bin/ar
+      AS: /usr/bin/as
+      NM: /usr/bin/nm
+      RANLIB: /usr/bin/ranlib
       ARGS:
         # Reliance on CLT hard path is yuck.
         - --with-sysroot=/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk