AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-release], [Enable Release Build, default no]),
        [build_release=$enableval], [build_release=no])
 
-if test $build_release = no; then
-       # check we can find guess-rev.sh
-       AC_CHECK_FILE("$srcdir/guess-rev.sh", build_release=no, build_release=yes)
+if test $cross_compiling = no; then
+       if test $build_release = no; then
+               # check we can find guess-rev.sh
+               AC_CHECK_FILE("$srcdir/guess-rev.sh", build_release=no, build_release=yes)
+       fi
 fi
 
 # We are not *ALWAYS* being installed in the standard place.