diff --git a/cmake/platforms/cross_generic_gcc.cmake b/cmake/platforms/cross_generic_gcc.cmake
index 9e8a22c31..862ec2506 100644
--- a/cmake/platforms/cross_generic_gcc.cmake
+++ b/cmake/platforms/cross_generic_gcc.cmake
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 set (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME      "Generic" CACHE STRING "")
 
-include (CMakeForceCompiler)
-
-CMAKE_FORCE_C_COMPILER   ("${CROSS_PREFIX}gcc" GNU)
-CMAKE_FORCE_CXX_COMPILER ("${CROSS_PREFIX}g++" GNU)
+set (CMAKE_C_COMPILER   "${CROSS_PREFIX}gcc")
+set (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "${CROSS_PREFIX}g++")
+# _exit is in the BSP rather than in libgcc, leaving this out
+# causes errors in try_compile on ARM generic.
+set (CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE STATIC_LIBRARY)
 
 set (CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM	NEVER CACHE STRING "")
 set (CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_LIBRARY	NEVER CACHE STRING "")