diff --git a/guix/utils.scm b/guix/utils.scm
index d7b197fa44..69e3f0a934 100644
--- a/guix/utils.scm
+++ b/guix/utils.scm
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2016 Mathieu Lirzin <mthl@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2015 David Thompson <davet@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2017 Mathieu Othacehe <m.othacehe@gmail.com>
-;;; Copyright © 2018 Marius Bakke <mbakke@fastmail.com>
+;;; Copyright © 2018, 2020 Marius Bakke <marius@gnu.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@
             target-aarch64?
             target-arm?
             target-64bit?
+            cc-for-target
+
             version-compare
             version>?
             version>=?
@@ -506,6 +508,11 @@ a character other than '@'."
                                                (%current-system))))
   (any (cut string-prefix? <> system) '("x86_64" "aarch64" "mips64" "ppc64")))
 
+(define* (cc-for-target #:optional (target (%current-target-system)))
+  (if target
+      (string-append target "-gcc")
+      "gcc"))
+
 (define version-compare
   (let ((strverscmp
          (let ((sym (or (dynamic-func "strverscmp" (dynamic-link))