diff --git a/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
index a6e93d0..6f96e42 100644
--- a/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ int slbt_get_driver_ctx(
 	uint64_t			lflags;
 	const char *                    cfgmeta_ar;
 	const char *                    cfgmeta_ranlib;
+	const char *                    cfgmeta_dlltool;
 
 	if (flags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODE_AR)
 		argv_optv_init(slbt_ar_options,optv);
@@ -395,6 +396,7 @@ int slbt_get_driver_ctx(
 
 	cfgmeta_ar     = 0;
 	cfgmeta_ranlib = 0;
+	cfgmeta_dlltool = 0;
 
 	/* get options */
 	for (entry=meta->entries; entry->fopt || entry->arg; entry++) {
@@ -602,6 +604,7 @@ int slbt_get_driver_ctx(
 
 				case TAG_DLLTOOL:
 					cctx.host.dlltool = entry->arg;
+					cfgmeta_dlltool   = cfgexplicit;
 					break;
 
 				case TAG_MDSO:
@@ -812,6 +815,9 @@ int slbt_get_driver_ctx(
 		if (ctx->cctx.host.ranlib && !cfgmeta_ranlib)
 			cfgmeta_ranlib = cfglconf;
 
+		if (ctx->cctx.host.dlltool && !cfgmeta_dlltool)
+			cfgmeta_dlltool = cfglconf;
+
 		if (cmdnoshared)
 			lflags &= ~(uint64_t)SLBT_DRIVER_DISABLE_STATIC;
 
@@ -852,7 +858,8 @@ int slbt_get_driver_ctx(
 			&ctx->cctx.host,
 			&ctx->cctx.cfgmeta,
 			cfgmeta_ar,
-			cfgmeta_ranlib))
+			cfgmeta_ranlib,
+			cfgmeta_dlltool))
 		return slbt_get_driver_ctx_fail(&ctx->ctx,0);
 
 	/* flavor settings */
diff --git a/src/driver/slbt_host_params.c b/src/driver/slbt_host_params.c
index 5811e02..f63f9b3 100644
--- a/src/driver/slbt_host_params.c
+++ b/src/driver/slbt_host_params.c
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ int slbt_init_host_params(
 	struct slbt_host_params *	host,
 	struct slbt_host_params *	cfgmeta,
 	const char *                    cfgmeta_ar,
-	const char *                    cfgmeta_ranlib)
+	const char *                    cfgmeta_ranlib,
+	const char *                    cfgmeta_dlltool)
 {
 	int		fdcwd;
 	int		arprobe;
@@ -413,7 +414,7 @@ int slbt_init_host_params(
 
 	/* dlltool */
 	if (host->dlltool)
-		cfgmeta->dlltool = cfgexplicit;
+		cfgmeta->dlltool = cfgmeta_dlltool ? cfgmeta_dlltool : cfgexplicit;
 
 	else if (strcmp(host->flavor,"cygwin")
 			&& strcmp(host->flavor,"midipix")
@@ -622,7 +623,7 @@ int  slbt_set_alternate_host(
 			&ictx->ctx.ahost,
 			&ictx->ctx.cctx.ahost,
 			&ictx->ctx.cctx.acfgmeta,
-			0,0)) {
+			0,0,0)) {
 		slbt_free_host_params(&ictx->ctx.ahost);
 		return SLBT_CUSTOM_ERROR(ctx,SLBT_ERR_HOST_INIT);
 	}
diff --git a/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h b/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
index 948d68c..2644e27 100644
--- a/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ int slbt_init_host_params(
 	struct slbt_host_params *	host,
 	struct slbt_host_params *	cfgmeta,
 	const char *                    cfgmeta_ar,
-	const char *                    cfgmeta_ranlib);
+	const char *                    cfgmeta_ranlib,
+	const char *                    cfgmeta_dlltool);
 
 
 void slbt_free_host_params(struct slbt_host_strs * host);
diff --git a/src/internal/slibtool_lconf_impl.c b/src/internal/slibtool_lconf_impl.c
index da0ffdd..c6c2f2a 100644
--- a/src/internal/slibtool_lconf_impl.c
+++ b/src/internal/slibtool_lconf_impl.c
@@ -806,6 +806,17 @@ int slbt_get_lconf_flags(
 	}
 
 
+	/* dlltool tool (optional) */
+	if (!ctx->cctx.host.dlltool) {
+		if (slbt_get_lconf_var(addr,cap,"DLLTOOL=",&val) >= 0) {
+			if (val[0] && !(ctx->host.dlltool = strdup(val)))
+				return SLBT_SYSTEM_ERROR(dctx,0);
+
+			ctx->cctx.host.dlltool = ctx->host.dlltool;
+		}
+	}
+
+
 	/* all done */
 	ctx->lconf.addr = addr;
 	ctx->lconf.size = st.st_size;