diff --git a/srcpkgs/irssi/template b/srcpkgs/irssi/template
index 3bba172c63..36f6c5ca15 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/irssi/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/irssi/template
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 # Template file for 'irssi'
 pkgname=irssi
 version=1.2.2
-revision=4
+revision=5
 build_style=gnu-configure
-configure_args="--disable-static --with-proxy --enable-true-color --with-otr"
-hostmakedepends="pkg-config"
-makedepends="libglib-devel libressl-devel ncurses-devel libgcrypt-devel libotr-devel"
+configure_args="--disable-static --with-proxy --enable-true-color
+ --with-otr --with-perl=module"
+hostmakedepends="pkg-config perl"
+makedepends="libglib-devel libressl-devel ncurses-devel libgcrypt-devel
+ libotr-devel perl"
 depends="ca-certificates"
 conf_files="/etc/irssi.conf"
 short_desc="Secure and modular IRC client with text mode user interface"
@@ -16,13 +18,33 @@ distfiles="https://github.com/irssi/irssi/releases/download/${version}/irssi-${v
 checksum=53182861d4d2be6db35fa7e3f0524a64d2a54a374307574dab5f5362bfea563c
 
 LDFLAGS="-lncursesw"
-subpackages="irssi-devel irssi-otr"
 
-if [ -z "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
-	configure_args+=" --with-perl=module"
-	subpackages+=" irssi-perl"
-	makedepends+=" perl"
-fi
+pre_configure() {
+	[ -z "$CROSS_BUILD" ] && return 0
+	local perlprefix=${XBPS_STATEDIR}/perlprefix-${XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE}
+	mkdir -p $perlprefix
+	cp "$XBPS_CROSS_BASE/usr/lib/perl5/core_perl/Config"*.p? $perlprefix
+	cp "$XBPS_CROSS_BASE/usr/lib/perl5/core_perl/Errno.pm" $perlprefix
+	vsed -i -e "s;archlibexp => '\(.*\)';archlibexp => '${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}\1';" \
+		${perlprefix}/Config.pm
+	vsed -i -e "s;^archlibexp='\(.*\)';archlibexp='${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}\1';" \
+		${perlprefix}/Config_heavy.pl
+	export PERL5LIB=$perlprefix
+	export OPTIMIZE="$CFLAGS"
+	export LDDLFLAGS="-shared $CFLAGS -L${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/usr/lib -lperl"
+	export PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1
+}
+
+post_configure() {
+	for i in common irc textui ui; do
+		perlmkf="$wrksrc/src/perl/$i/Makefile.PL"
+		if [ ! -f $perlmkf ]; then
+			msg_error "*** ERROR: couldn't find $perlmkf, aborting **\n"
+		fi
+		cd $wrksrc/src/perl/$i
+		perl Makefile.PL INSTALLDIRS=vendor
+	done
+}
 
 irssi-perl_package() {
 	depends="irssi"