diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 7c08c18358..e8786d478e 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2937,7 +2937,6 @@ echo "GENISOIMAGE=$genisoimage" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "MESON=$meson" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "NINJA=$ninja" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "CC=$cc" >> $config_host_mak
-echo "HOST_CC=$host_cc" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "AR=$ar" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "AS=$as" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "CCAS=$ccas" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -3057,7 +3056,7 @@ done
 (for i in $cross_cc_vars; do
   export $i
 done
-export target_list source_path use_containers cpu
+export target_list source_path use_containers cpu host_cc
 $source_path/tests/tcg/configure.sh)
 
 # temporary config to build submodules
diff --git a/tests/tcg/Makefile.target b/tests/tcg/Makefile.target
index 95499d8c9b..f427a0304e 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/Makefile.target
+++ b/tests/tcg/Makefile.target
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #
 
 all:
--include ../../../config-host.mak
+-include ../config-host.mak
 -include ../config-$(TARGET).mak
 
 # Get semihosting definitions for user-mode emulation
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ EXTRA_TESTS=
 
 # Start with a blank slate, the build targets get to add stuff first
 CFLAGS=
-QEMU_CFLAGS=
 LDFLAGS=
 
 QEMU_OPTS=
diff --git a/tests/tcg/configure.sh b/tests/tcg/configure.sh
index a577dd7ece..75603fee6d 100755
--- a/tests/tcg/configure.sh
+++ b/tests/tcg/configure.sh
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ fi
 makefile=tests/tcg/Makefile.prereqs
 echo "# Automatically generated by configure - do not modify" > $makefile
 
+config_host_mak=tests/tcg/config-host.mak
+echo "# Automatically generated by configure - do not modify" > $config_host_mak
+echo "SRC_PATH=$source_path" >> $config_host_mak
+echo "HOST_CC=$host_cc" >> $config_host_mak
+
 tcg_tests_targets=
 for target in $target_list; do
   arch=${target%%-*}