diff --git a/openpower/package/hostboot/Config.in b/openpower/package/hostboot/Config.in
index be08096..bbb7281 100644
--- a/openpower/package/hostboot/Config.in
+++ b/openpower/package/hostboot/Config.in
@@ -35,5 +35,13 @@
         help
             String used to define hw specific make config file
 
-endif
 
+config BR2_HOSTBOOT_USE_ALTERNATE_GCC
+		bool "use Alternate GCC to build hostboot"
+		default n
+		select BR2_PACKAGE_ALTERNATE_GCC
+		help
+		  Select to enable using an alternate version of GCC
+		  to build hostboot.
+
+endif
diff --git a/openpower/package/hostboot/hostboot.mk b/openpower/package/hostboot/hostboot.mk
index d83f073..7913643 100644
--- a/openpower/package/hostboot/hostboot.mk
+++ b/openpower/package/hostboot/hostboot.mk
@@ -14,10 +14,20 @@
 HOSTBOOT_INSTALL_IMAGES = YES
 HOSTBOOT_INSTALL_TARGET = NO
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_HOSTBOOT_USE_ALTERNATE_GCC),y)
+HOSTBOOT_TARGET_CROSS = $(HOST_DIR)/alternate-toolchain/bin/$(GNU_TARGET_NAME)-
+HOSTBOOT_BINUTILS_DIR = $(HOST_ALTERNATE_BINUTILS_DIR)
+HOSTBOOT_DEPENDENCIES = host-alternate-binutils host-alternate-gcc
+else
+HOSTBOOT_TARGET_CROSS = $(TARGET_CROSS)
+HOSTBOOT_BINUTILS_DIR = $(HOST_BINUTILS_DIR)
+HOSTBOOT_DEPENDENCIES = host-binutils
+endif
+
 HOSTBOOT_ENV_VARS=$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) PERL_USE_UNSAFE_INC=1 \
     CONFIG_FILE=$(BR2_EXTERNAL_OP_BUILD_PATH)/configs/hostboot/$(BR2_HOSTBOOT_CONFIG_FILE) \
-    OPENPOWER_BUILD=1 CROSS_PREFIX="$(CCACHE) $(TARGET_CROSS)" HOST_PREFIX="" HOST_BINUTILS_DIR=$(HOST_BINUTILS_DIR) \
-    HOSTBOOT_VERSION=`cat $(HOSTBOOT_VERSION_FILE)`
+    OPENPOWER_BUILD=1 CROSS_PREFIX="$(CCACHE) $(HOSTBOOT_TARGET_CROSS)" HOST_PREFIX="" \
+    HOST_BINUTILS_DIR=$(HOSTBOOT_BINUTILS_DIR) HOSTBOOT_VERSION=`cat $(HOSTBOOT_VERSION_FILE)`
 
 define HOSTBOOT_BUILD_CMDS
         $(HOSTBOOT_ENV_VARS) bash -c 'cd $(@D) && source ./env.bash && $(MAKE)'