--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1083,6 +1083,7 @@ class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
                         if db_setup_debug: print "db lib: ", dblib, "not found"
 
         except db_found:
+            rt_dblib_dir = None if cross_compiling else dblib_dir
             if db_setup_debug:
                 print "bsddb using BerkeleyDB lib:", db_ver, dblib
                 print "bsddb lib dir:", dblib_dir, " inc dir:", db_incdir
@@ -1097,7 +1098,7 @@ class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
             exts.append(Extension('_bsddb', ['_bsddb.c'],
                                   depends = ['bsddb.h'],
                                   library_dirs=dblib_dir,
-                                  runtime_library_dirs=dblib_dir,
+                                  runtime_library_dirs=rt_dblib_dir,
                                   include_dirs=db_incs,
                                   libraries=dblibs))
         else:
@@ -1308,10 +1309,11 @@ class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
                             break
                 elif cand == "bdb":
                     if db_incs is not None:
+                        rt_dblib_dir = None if cross_compiling else dblib_dir
                         print "building dbm using bdb"
                         dbmext = Extension('dbm', ['dbmmodule.c'],
                                            library_dirs=dblib_dir,
-                                           runtime_library_dirs=dblib_dir,
+                                           runtime_library_dirs=rt_dblib_dir,
                                            include_dirs=db_incs,
                                            define_macros=[
                                                ('HAVE_BERKDB_H', None),