--- a/stdlib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/stdlib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,15 +1,26 @@
-add_executable(to_c_array EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL to_c_array.cpp)
-configure_target_cc_props(to_c_array)
+if(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
+	# build time generator, built for the build host
+	set(HOST_CXX c++ CACHE STRING "C++ compiler for build time tools")
+	set(TO_C_ARRAY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/to_c_array.host")
+	add_custom_command(
+		COMMAND ${HOST_CXX} -o "${TO_C_ARRAY}" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/to_c_array.cpp"
+		OUTPUT "${TO_C_ARRAY}"
+		DEPENDS to_c_array.cpp)
+else()
+	add_executable(to_c_array EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL to_c_array.cpp)
+	configure_target_cc_props(to_c_array)
+	set(TO_C_ARRAY to_c_array)
+endif()
 
 add_custom_command(
 	COMMENT "Packing std.jsonnet into std.jsonnet.h"
 	COMMAND
-		to_c_array
+		${TO_C_ARRAY}
 			"${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/std.jsonnet"
 			"${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/std.jsonnet.h"
 	OUTPUT "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/std.jsonnet.h"
 	MAIN_DEPENDENCY std.jsonnet
-	DEPENDS to_c_array)
+	DEPENDS ${TO_C_ARRAY})
 
 add_library(stdlib_h INTERFACE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/std.jsonnet.h")
 target_include_directories(stdlib_h INTERFACE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}")