diff --git a/package/perl/Config.in b/package/perl/Config.in
index 0642deb..b2991b0 100644
--- a/package/perl/Config.in
+++ b/package/perl/Config.in
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_PERL
 	bool "perl"
-	depends on !BR2_avr32
-	depends on !BR2_bfin
-	depends on !BR2_sh2
-	depends on !BR2_sh2a
-	depends on !BR2_sh3
-	depends on !BR2_sh3eb
-	depends on !BR2_sh64
 	help
 	  Larry Wall's Practical Extraction and Report Language
 	  An interpreted scripting language, known among some as "Unix's Swiss
@@ -16,35 +9,18 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_PERL
 
 if BR2_PACKAGE_PERL
 
-config BR2_PACKAGE_PERL_CUSTOM_INSTALL
-	bool "custom install"
-	help
-	  Don't use the full install target
-	  Install only a selection of modules (like microperl).
-
 config BR2_PACKAGE_PERL_MODULES
-	string "additional modules"
-	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_PERL_CUSTOM_INSTALL
+	string "custom module selection"
 	help
-	  List of space-separated perl modules to copy to the rootfs.
-
-	  Examples: constant.pm Getopt/Std.pm Time/Local.pm
+	  List of space-separated perl modules (without .pm) to copy to the
+	  rootfs.
 
-	  Module dependencies are not automatic so check your needs.
+	  Examples: constant Getopt/Std Time/Local
 
-config BR2_PACKAGE_PERL_DB_FILE
-	bool "DB_File"
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_BERKELEYDB
-	help
-	  Build the DB_File module.
+	  Module dependencies on external libraries are not automatic so
+	  check your needs.
 
-config BR2_PACKAGE_PERL_GDBM_FILE
-	bool "GDBM_File"
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_GDBM
-	help
-	  Build the GDBM_File module.
+	  Leave empty for all modules (as far as the external libraries
+	  are available).
 
 endif
-
-comment "perl requires an architecture supported by qemu"
-	depends on BR2_avr32 || BR2_bfin || BR2_sh2 || BR2_sh2a || BR2_sh3 || BR2_sh3eb || BR2_sh64
diff --git a/package/perl/perl.mk b/package/perl/perl.mk
index 81dff04..f3c73dd 100644
--- a/package/perl/perl.mk
+++ b/package/perl/perl.mk
@@ -12,7 +12,26 @@ PERL_LICENSE = Artistic
 PERL_LICENSE_FILES = Artistic
 PERL_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
 
-PERL_DEPENDENCIES = host-qemu
+PERL_CROSS_VERSION = 0.7
+PERL_CROSS_SITE    = http://download.berlios.de/perlcross
+PERL_CROSS_SOURCE  = perl-5.$(PERL_VERSION_MAJOR).0-cross-$(PERL_CROSS_VERSION).tar.gz
+
+# We use the perlcross hack to cross-compile perl. It should
+# be extracted over the perl sources, so we don't define that
+# as a separate package. Instead, it is downloaded and extracted
+# together with perl
+
+define PERL_CROSS_DOWNLOAD
+	$(call DOWNLOAD,$(PERL_CROSS_SITE)/$(PERL_CROSS_SOURCE))
+endef
+PERL_POST_DOWNLOAD_HOOKS += PERL_CROSS_DOWNLOAD
+
+define PERL_CROSS_EXTRACT
+	$(INFLATE$(suffix $(PERL_CROSS_SOURCE))) $(DL_DIR)/$(PERL_CROSS_SOURCE) | \
+	$(TAR) $(TAR_STRIP_COMPONENTS)=1 -C $(@D) $(TAR_OPTIONS) -
+endef
+PERL_POST_EXTRACT_HOOKS += PERL_CROSS_EXTRACT
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_BERKELEYDB),y)
     PERL_DEPENDENCIES += berkeleydb
 endif
@@ -20,23 +39,31 @@ ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_GDBM),y)
     PERL_DEPENDENCIES += gdbm
 endif
 
-PERL_CONF_OPT = -des \
-		-Dusecrosscompile \
-		-Dtargetrun=$(QEMU_USER) \
-		-Dqemulib=$(STAGING_DIR) \
-		-Dar="$(TARGET_AR)" \
-		-Dcc="$(TARGET_CC)" \
-		-Dcpp="$(TARGET_CC)" \
-		-Dld="$(TARGET_LD)" \
-		-Dnm="$(TARGET_NM)" \
-		-Dranlib="$(TARGET_RANLIB)" \
-		-Dccflags="$(TARGET_CFLAGS)" \
-		-Dldflags="$(TARGET_LDFLAGS) -lgcc_s -lm" \
-		-Dlddlflags="-shared" \
-		-Dlibc=$(STAGING_DIR)/lib/libc.so \
-		-Duseshrplib \
-		-Dprefix=/usr \
-		-Uoptimize
+# Normally, --mode=cross should automatically do the two steps
+# below, but it doesn't work for some reason.
+PERL_HOST_CONF_OPT = \
+	--mode=buildmini \
+	--target=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
+	--target-arch=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
+	--set-target-name=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME)
+
+# We have to override LD, because an external multilib toolchain ld is not
+# wrapped to provide the required sysroot options.  We also can't use ccache
+# because the configure script doesn't support it.
+PERL_CONF_OPT = \
+	--mode=target \
+	--target=$(GNU_TARGET_NAME) \
+	--target-tools-prefix=$(TARGET_CROSS) \
+	--prefix=/usr \
+	-Dld="$(TARGET_CC_NOCCACHE)" \
+	-A ccflags="$(TARGET_CFLAGS)" \
+	-A ldflags="$(TARGET_LDFLAGS) -lm" \
+	-A mydomain="" \
+	-A myhostname="$(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_HOSTNAME)" \
+	-A myuname="Buildroot $(BR2_VERSION_FULL)" \
+	-A osname=linux \
+	-A osvers=$(LINUX_VERSION) \
+	-A perlamdin=root
 
 ifeq ($(shell expr $(PERL_VERSION_MAJOR) % 2), 1)
     PERL_CONF_OPT += -Dusedevel
@@ -46,93 +73,39 @@ ifneq ($(BR2_LARGEFILE),y)
     PERL_CONF_OPT += -Uuselargefiles
 endif
 
+PERL_MODULES = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_PERL_MODULES))
+ifneq ($(PERL_MODULES),)
+PERL_CONF_OPT += --only-mod=$(subst $(space),$(comma),$(PERL_MODULES))
+endif
+
 define PERL_CONFIGURE_CMDS
-	rm -f $(@D)/config.sh
-	(cd $(@D); ./Configure $(PERL_CONF_OPT))
-	echo "# patched values"                                 >>$(@D)/config.sh
-	$(SED) '/^myarchname=/d' \
-		-e '/^mydomain=/d' \
-		-e '/^myhostname=/d' \
-		-e '/^myuname=/d' \
-		-e '/^osname=/d' \
-		-e '/^osvers=/d' \
-		-e '/^perladmin=/d' \
-		$(@D)/config.sh
-	echo "myarchname='$(GNU_TARGET_NAME)'"                  >>$(@D)/config.sh
-	echo "mydomain=''"                                      >>$(@D)/config.sh
-	echo "myhostname='$(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_HOSTNAME)'"      >>$(@D)/config.sh
-	echo "myuname='Buildroot $(BR2_VERSION_FULL)'"          >>$(@D)/config.sh
-	echo "osname='linux'"                                   >>$(@D)/config.sh
-	echo "osvers='$(BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_VERSION)'"             >>$(@D)/config.sh
-	echo "perladmin='root'"                                 >>$(@D)/config.sh
-	(cd $(@D); ./Configure -S)
-	cp $(@D)/config.h $(@D)/xconfig.h
+	(cd $(@D); HOSTCC='$(HOSTCC_NOCACHE)' ./configure $(PERL_HOST_CONF_OPT))
+	(cd $(@D); ./configure $(PERL_CONF_OPT))
 	$(SED) 's/UNKNOWN-/Buildroot $(BR2_VERSION_FULL) /' $(@D)/patchlevel.h
 endef
 
+# perlcross's miniperl_top forgets base, which is required by mktables.
+# Instead of patching, it's easier to just set PERL5LIB
 define PERL_BUILD_CMDS
-	echo "#!/bin/sh"                                > $(@D)/Cross/miniperl
-	echo "$(QEMU_USER) $(@D)/miniperl \"\$$@\""     >>$(@D)/Cross/miniperl
-	chmod +x $(@D)/Cross/miniperl
-	PERL_MM_OPT="PERL=$(@D)/Cross/miniperl" \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(@D) all
+	PERL5LIB=$(@D)/dist/base/lib $(MAKE1) -C $(@D) perl modules
 endef
 
 define PERL_INSTALL_STAGING_CMDS
-	$(MAKE) INSTALL_DEPENDENCE= \
-		INSTALLFLAGS= \
-		DESTDIR="$(STAGING_DIR)" \
-		-C $(@D) install.perl
+	PERL5LIB=$(@D)/dist/base/lib $(MAKE1) -C $(@D) DESTDIR="$(STAGING_DIR)" install.perl
 endef
 
-PERL_RUN_PERL = $(QEMU_USER) $(@D)/perl -Ilib
-PERL_ARCHNAME = $(shell $(PERL_RUN_PERL) -MConfig -e "print Config->{archname}")
-PERL_LIB = $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/perl5/$(PERL_VERSION)
-PERL_ARCHLIB = $(PERL_LIB)/$(PERL_ARCHNAME)
-PERL_MODS = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_PERL_MODULES))
-# Minimal set of modules required for 'perl -V' to work
-PERL_ARCH_MODS = Config.pm Config_git.pl Config_heavy.pl
-PERL_BASE_MODS = strict.pm vars.pm warnings.pm warnings/register.pm
-
-define PERL_INSTALL_MODULES
-	for i in $(PERL_ARCH_MODS); do \
-		$(INSTALL) -m 0644 -D $(@D)/lib/$$i $(PERL_ARCHLIB)/$$i; \
-	done
-	for i in $(PERL_BASE_MODS); do \
-		$(INSTALL) -m 0644 -D $(@D)/lib/$$i $(PERL_LIB)/$$i; \
-	done
-	for i in $(PERL_MODS); do \
-		j=`echo $$i|cut -d : -f 1` ; \
-		if [ -d $(@D)/lib/$$j ] ; then \
-			cp -af $(@D)/lib/$$j $(PERL_LIB) ; \
-		fi ; \
-		if [ -f $(@D)/lib/$$i ] ; then \
-			$(INSTALL) -m 0644 -D $(@D)/lib/$$i $(PERL_LIB)/$$i; \
-		fi ; \
-	done
-	# Remove test files
-	find $(PERL_LIB) -type f -name *.t -exec rm -f {} \;
-endef
+PERL_INSTALL_TARGET_GOALS = install.perl
+ifeq ($(BR2_HAVE_DOCUMENTATION),y)
+PERL_INSTALL_TARGET_GOALS += install.man
+endif
+
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_PERL_CUSTOM_INSTALL),y)
-define PERL_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
-	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 -D $(@D)/perl $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/perl
-	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 -D $(@D)/libperl.so $(PERL_ARCHLIB)/CORE/libperl.so
-	$(PERL_INSTALL_MODULES)
-endef
-else
 define PERL_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
-	$(MAKE) INSTALL_DEPENDENCE= \
-		INSTALLFLAGS=-p \
-		DESTDIR="$(TARGET_DIR)" \
-		-C $(@D) install.perl
-	rm -f $(PERL_ARCHLIB)/CORE/*.h
-	find $(PERL_ARCHLIB) -type f -name *.bs -exec rm -f {} \;
+	PERL5LIB=$(@D)/dist/base/lib $(MAKE1) -C $(@D) DESTDIR="$(TARGET_DIR)" $(PERL_INSTALL_TARGET_GOALS)
 endef
-endif
 
 define PERL_CLEAN_CMDS
-	-$(MAKE) -C $(@D) clean
+	-$(MAKE1) -C $(@D) clean
 endef
 
 $(eval $(generic-package))
