diff --git a/libs/fst/wscript b/libs/fst/wscript
index 44ff9a8128..d7223fb30b 100644
--- a/libs/fst/wscript
+++ b/libs/fst/wscript
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def configure(conf):
     conf.load('misc')
     conf.load('compiler_cxx')
     autowaf.configure(conf)
-    if conf.env['WINDOWS_VST_SUPPORT'] == True and bld.env['build_target'] == 'mingw':
+    if conf.env['WINDOWS_VST_SUPPORT'] == True and Options.options.dist_target == 'mingw':
         conf.check(compiler='cxx',
                    lib='gdi32',
                    mandatory=True,
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index e9cedd216d..4151a889ae 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -654,7 +654,9 @@ def configure(conf):
     if Options.options.boost_sp_debug:
         conf.env.append_value('CXXFLAGS', '-DBOOST_SP_ENABLE_DEBUG_HOOKS')
 
-    conf.check_cxx(fragment = "#include <boost/version.hpp>\nint main(void) { return (BOOST_VERSION >= 103900 ? 0 : 1); }\n",
+    # executing a test program is n/a when cross-compiling
+    if Options.options.dist_target != 'mingw':
+        conf.check_cxx(fragment = "#include <boost/version.hpp>\nint main(void) { return (BOOST_VERSION >= 103900 ? 0 : 1); }\n",
                   execute = "1",
                   mandatory = True,
                   msg = 'Checking for boost library >= 1.39',