diff --git a/gnu/usr.bin/binutils/ld/Makefile b/gnu/usr.bin/binutils/ld/Makefile
index 926bac42f7d2..dff112169eba 100644
--- a/gnu/usr.bin/binutils/ld/Makefile
+++ b/gnu/usr.bin/binutils/ld/Makefile
@@ -31,7 +31,12 @@ CFLAGS+= -DTARGET=\"${TARGET_TUPLE}\"
 CFLAGS+= -DDEFAULT_EMULATION=\"${NATIVE_EMULATION}\"
 CFLAGS+= -DSCRIPTDIR=\"${TOOLS_PREFIX}/usr/libdata\"
 CFLAGS+= -DBFD_VERSION_STRING=\"${VERSION}\"
-CFLAGS+= -DBINDIR=\"${BINDIR}\" -DTARGET_SYSTEM_ROOT=\"${TOOLS_PREFIX:U/}\"
+CFLAGS+= -DBINDIR=\"${BINDIR}\"
+.if defined(TOOLS_PREFIX)
+CFLAGS+= -DTARGET_SYSTEM_ROOT=\"${TOOLS_PREFIX}\"
+.else
+CFLAGS+= -DTARGET_SYSTEM_ROOT=\"/\"
+.endif
 CFLAGS+= -DTOOLBINDIR=\"${TOOLS_PREFIX}/${BINDIR}/libexec\"
 CFLAGS+= -D_GNU_SOURCE
 CFLAGS+= -I${SRCDIR}/ld -I${SRCDIR}/bfd