diff --git a/mk/prefix.mk b/mk/prefix.mk
index 7e3e22692..5b34e1f1c 100644
--- a/mk/prefix.mk
+++ b/mk/prefix.mk
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ else
 	@echo "\033[1;36;49mBuilding relibc-freestanding-install\033[0m"
 	rm -rf "$@.partial" "$@"
 	mkdir -p "$@.partial"
-	export CARGO="env -u CARGO -u RUSTUP_TOOLCHAIN cargo" && \
+	export CARGO="env -u CARGO -u RUSTUP_TOOLCHAIN cargo" RUSTUP="env -u CARGO -u RUSTUP_TOOLCHAIN rustup" && \
 	export PATH="$(ROOT)/$(PREFIX)/gcc-freestanding-install/bin:$$PATH" && \
 	export CC_$(subst -,_,$(TARGET))="$(GNU_TARGET)-gcc -isystem $(ROOT)/$@.partial/$(GNU_TARGET)/include" LINKFLAGS="" && \
 	export $(PREFIX_CONFIG) COOKBOOK_HOST_SYSROOT=/usr COOKBOOK_CROSS_TARGET=$(HOST_TARGET) && \
diff --git a/recipes/core/relibc/recipe.toml b/recipes/core/relibc/recipe.toml
index c0c059d4b..11eeec21b 100644
--- a/recipes/core/relibc/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/core/relibc/recipe.toml
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ script = """
 # obscure crash if jobs number is too much
 COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS="$(( ${COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS} > 8 ? 8 : ${COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS} ))"
 
+# rustup workaround https://github.com/rust-lang/rustup/issues/988
+if [ "${COOKBOOK_HOST_SYSROOT}" = "/usr" ]; then
+if command -v rustup >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    pushd ${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}
+    ${RUSTUP:-rustup} install
+    popd
+fi
+fi
+
 export CARGO=${CARGO:-env -u CARGO cargo}
 "${COOKBOOK_MAKE}" \
     -C "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}" \