diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/10/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/10/default.nix
index 1502b09cca6..c265fff2215 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/10/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/10/default.nix
@@ -186,8 +186,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation ({
 
   dontDisableStatic = true;
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always prefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (targetPlatform != hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   configureFlags = import ../common/configure-flags.nix {
     inherit
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/4.8/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/4.8/default.nix
index 6a2121a8298..957c85cfde5 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/4.8/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/4.8/default.nix
@@ -196,8 +196,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation ({
 
   dontDisableStatic = true;
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always prefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (targetPlatform != hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   configureFlags = import ../common/configure-flags.nix {
     inherit
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/4.9/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/4.9/default.nix
index 709288559d1..5d30f80edb2 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/4.9/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/4.9/default.nix
@@ -209,8 +209,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation ({
 
   dontDisableStatic = true;
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always prefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (targetPlatform != hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   configureFlags = import ../common/configure-flags.nix {
     inherit
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/6/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/6/default.nix
index 93c9dde61fc..0ac54e093b4 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/6/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/6/default.nix
@@ -232,8 +232,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation ({
 
   dontDisableStatic = true;
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always prefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (targetPlatform != hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   configureFlags = import ../common/configure-flags.nix {
     inherit
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/7/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/7/default.nix
index d9b4c639b5a..233d022514e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/7/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/7/default.nix
@@ -197,8 +197,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation ({
 
   dontDisableStatic = true;
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always prefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (targetPlatform != hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   configureFlags = import ../common/configure-flags.nix {
     inherit
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/8/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/8/default.nix
index 6ecf462d54d..4e57e43437f 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/8/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/8/default.nix
@@ -182,8 +182,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation ({
 
   dontDisableStatic = true;
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always prefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (targetPlatform != hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   configureFlags = import ../common/configure-flags.nix {
     inherit
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/9/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/9/default.nix
index 7f35f5c7bb9..92810ecffaf 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/9/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/9/default.nix
@@ -199,8 +199,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation ({
 
   dontDisableStatic = true;
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always prefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (targetPlatform != hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   configureFlags = import ../common/configure-flags.nix {
     inherit
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/configure-flags.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/configure-flags.nix
index fc4fbb34c50..4cf06cd4107 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/configure-flags.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/configure-flags.nix
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ let
   crossMingw = targetPlatform != hostPlatform && targetPlatform.libc == "msvcrt";
   crossDarwin = targetPlatform != hostPlatform && targetPlatform.libc == "libSystem";
 
+  targetPrefix = lib.optionalString (stdenv.targetPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform)
+                  "${stdenv.targetPlatform.config}-";
+
   crossConfigureFlags =
     # Ensure that -print-prog-name is able to find the correct programs.
     [
@@ -112,6 +115,18 @@ let
 
     # Basic configuration
     ++ [
+      # Force target prefix. The behavior if `--target` and `--host`
+      # are specified is inconsistent: Sometimes specifying `--target`
+      # always causes a prefix to be generated, sometimes it's only
+      # added if the `--host` and `--target` differ. This means that
+      # sometimes there may be a prefix even though nixpkgs doesn't
+      # expect one and sometimes there may be none even though nixpkgs
+      # expects one (since not all information is serialized into the
+      # config attribute). The easiest way out of these problems is to
+      # always set the program prefix, so gcc will conform to our
+      # expectations.
+      "--program-prefix=${targetPrefix}"
+
       (lib.enableFeature enableLTO "lto")
       "--disable-libstdcxx-pch"
       "--without-included-gettext"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
index 995f3f7430c..8042655a859 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
@@ -107,8 +107,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
   hardeningDisable = [ "format" "pie" ];
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always targetPrefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (stdenv.targetPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   configureFlags =
     (if enableShared then [ "--enable-shared" "--disable-static" ]
@@ -126,7 +125,19 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     # RUNPATH instead of RPATH on binaries.  This is important because
     # RUNPATH can be overriden using LD_LIBRARY_PATH at runtime.
     "--enable-new-dtags"
-  ] ++ lib.optionals gold [ "--enable-gold" "--enable-plugins" ];
+
+    # force target prefix. Some versions of binutils will make it empty
+    # if `--host` and `--target` are too close, even if Nixpkgs thinks
+    # the platforms are different (e.g. because not all the info makes
+    # the `config`). Other versions of binutils will always prefix if
+    # `--target` is passed, even if `--host` and `--target` are the same.
+    # The easiest thing for us to do is not leave it to chance, and force
+    # the program prefix to be what we want it to be.
+    "--program-prefix=${targetPrefix}"
+  ] ++ lib.optionals gold [
+    "--enable-gold"
+    "--enable-plugins"
+  ];
 
   doCheck = false; # fails
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gdb/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gdb/default.nix
index 6f923778975..66d4e8bc057 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gdb/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gdb/default.nix
@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-Wno-format-nonliteral";
 
-  # TODO(@Ericson2314): Always pass "--target" and always prefix.
-  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" ] ++ lib.optional (stdenv.targetPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform) "target";
+  configurePlatforms = [ "build" "host" "target" ];
 
   # GDB have to be built out of tree.
   preConfigure = ''
@@ -72,6 +71,13 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   configureScript = "../configure";
 
   configureFlags = with lib; [
+    # Set the program prefix to the current targetPrefix.
+    # This ensures that the prefix always conforms to
+    # nixpkgs' expectations instead of relying on the build
+    # system which only receives `config` which is merely a
+    # subset of the platform description.
+    "--program-prefix=${targetPrefix}"
+
     "--enable-targets=all" "--enable-64-bit-bfd"
     "--disable-install-libbfd"
     "--disable-shared" "--enable-static"