diff --git a/config.project b/config.project
index ce3cd5a..27ac75f 100644
--- a/config.project
+++ b/config.project
@@ -71,5 +71,5 @@ mb_disable_frontend=no
 mb_disable_static=yes
 mb_disable_shared=
 
-mb_use_custom_cfgdefs=no
+mb_use_custom_cfgdefs=yes
 mb_use_custom_usrdefs=no
diff --git a/project/config/cfgdefs.in b/project/config/cfgdefs.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7656eed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/config/cfgdefs.in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+PYCOMPILE_CFGHOST	= @pycompile_cfghost@
diff --git a/project/config/cfgdefs.sh b/project/config/cfgdefs.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00dbde5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/config/cfgdefs.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# in projects where [ $mb_use_custom_cfgdefs = yes ],
+# cfgdefs.sh is invoked from within ./configure via
+# . $mb_project_dir/project/cfgdefs.sh
+
+# a successful return from cfgdefs.sh will be followed
+# by a second invocation of the config_copy() function,
+# reflecting any changes to common config variables
+# made by cfgdefs.sh.
+
+# finally, cfgdefs.sh may update the contents of the
+# build-time-generated cfgdefs.mk.
+
+
+# no custom switches yet
+for arg ; do
+	case "$arg" in
+		*)
+			error_msg ${arg#}: "unsupported config argument."
+			exit 2
+	esac
+done
+
+
+# cfghost: target
+if [ -z "$mb_cfghost" ]; then
+	case "$mb_cchost" in
+		x86_64-*-linux | x86_64-*-linux-* | x86_64-linux-* )
+			mb_cfghost=x86_64-linux ;;
+
+		x86_64-*-midipix | x86_64-*-midipix-* | x86_64-midipix-* )
+			mb_cfghost=x86_64-midipix ;;
+	esac
+fi
+
+
+# cfghost: (native) pycompile
+mb_pycompile_cfghost=$($mb_native_cc -dumpmachine)
+
+case "$mb_pycompile_cfghost" in
+	x86_64-*-linux | x86_64-*-linux-* | x86_64-linux-* )
+		mb_pycompile_cfghost=x86_64-linux ;;
+
+	x86_64-*-midipix | x86_64-*-midipix-* | x86_64-midipix-* )
+		mb_pycompile_cfghost=x86_64-midipix ;;
+esac
+
+
+# update cfgdefs.mk
+sed -e 's^@pycompile_cfghost@^'"$mb_pycompile_cfghost"'^g' \
+	$mb_project_dir/project/config/cfgdefs.in          \
+		> $mb_pwd/cfgdefs.mk || exit 2
+
+
+# all done
+return 0
diff --git a/project/config/cfgdefs.usage b/project/config/cfgdefs.usage
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/config/cfgdefs.usage
diff --git a/project/pycompile.mk b/project/pycompile.mk
index 20cc760..79aea38 100644
--- a/project/pycompile.mk
+++ b/project/pycompile.mk
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ PYCOMPILE		 = $(PYCOMPILE_DIR)/bin/pycompile
 PYCOMPILE_APP_SRCS	 = $(APP_SRCS)
 PYCOMPILE_CONFIG_SRCS	 = $(CONFIG_DEFAULT_SRCS)
 
-PYCOMPILE_CFGHOST	?= $(NATIVE_CC_HOST)
-PYCOMPILE_CFGSTEP	?=
-
 PYCOMPILE_TAGS		+= $(PYCOMPILE_DIR)/tree.tag
 PYCOMPILE_TAGS		+= $(PYCOMPILE_DIR)/config.tag