diff --git a/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/patches/manual-perl.patch b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/patches/manual-perl.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..903116072d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/patches/manual-perl.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+--- configure.ac.orig	2014-07-30 00:57:35.525532956 +0200
++++ configure.ac	2014-07-30 01:24:04.531476426 +0200
+@@ -717,39 +717,8 @@
+ 
+ IF_PERL=\#
+ if test x$support_perl = xyes; then
+-  AC_PATH_PROG(PERL, perl5, perl)
+-
+-  AC_MSG_CHECKING(for $PERL suitability)
+-  if $PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e "use v5.8" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
+-
+-     save_CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
+-     save_LIBS="$LIBS"
+-     CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS `$PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts`"
+-     LIBS="$LIBS `$PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e ldopts`"
+-     AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+-#include <EXTERN.h>
+-#include <perl.h>
+-#include <XSUB.h>
+-]], [[
+-     PerlInterpreter *perl = perl_alloc ();
+-]])],[rxvt_perl_link=yes],[rxvt_perl_link=no])
+-     CXXFLAGS="$save_CXXFLAGS"
+-     LIBS="$save_LIBS"
+-
+-     if test x$rxvt_perl_link = xyes; then
+-        AC_MSG_RESULT(ok)
+-        AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_PERL, 1, Define if you can embed a perl interpreter)
+-        IF_PERL=
+-        PERL_O=rxvtperl.o
+-        PERLFLAGS="`$PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts`"
+-        PERLLIB="`$PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e ldopts`"
+-        PERLPRIVLIBEXP="`$PERL -MConfig -e 'print $Config{privlibexp}'`"
+-     else
+-        AC_MSG_ERROR([no, unable to link])
+-     fi
+-  else
+-     AC_MSG_ERROR([no working perl found, or perl not version >= 5.8])
+-  fi
++   AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_PERL, 1, Define if you can embed a perl interpreter)
++   IF_PERL=
+ fi
+ AC_SUBST(PERLLIB)
+ AC_SUBST(PERLFLAGS)
diff --git a/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/template b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/template
index b6708d713c..5603b65121 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/template
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ distfiles="http://dist.schmorp.de/${pkgname}/${pkgname}-${version}.tar.bz2"
 checksum=e73e13fe64b59fd3c8e6e20c00f149d388741f141b8155e4700d3ed40aa94b4e
 
 pre_build() {
-  sed -i 's,tic,/bin/true,g' doc/Makefile
+	sed -i 's,tic,/bin/true,g' doc/Makefile
 }
 
 post_install() {
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ fi
 
 if [ "$build_option_perl" ]; then
 	configure_args+=" --enable-perl"
+	hostmakedepends+=" perl autoconf"
 	makedepends+=" perl"
 else
 	configure_args+=" --disable-perl"
@@ -62,3 +63,32 @@ if [ "$build_option_unicode3" ]; then
 else
 	configure_args+=" --disable-unicode3"
 fi
+
+_cross_perl() {
+	if [ "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
+		sed -e "s#/usr/lib#${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}\0#g" \
+			-e "s#/usr/share#${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}\0#g"
+	else
+		cat
+	fi
+}
+
+pre_configure() {
+	if [ "$build_option_perl" ]; then
+		rm configure
+		./autogen.sh
+	fi
+}
+
+do_configure() {
+	if [ "$build_option_perl" ]; then
+		./configure $configure_args \
+			PERL=perl \
+			PERL_O=rxvtperl.o \
+			PERLFLAGS="$(perl -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts | _cross_perl)" \
+			PERLLIB="$(perl -MExtUtils::Embed -e ldopts | _cross_perl)" \
+			PERLPRIVLIBEXP="$(perl -MConfig -e 'print $Config{privlibexp}' | _cross_perl)"
+	else
+		./configure $configure_args
+	fi
+}