diff --git a/scripts/build-toolchains.sh b/scripts/build-toolchains.sh
index 92a9cf75..d8d4a30f 100755
--- a/scripts/build-toolchains.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-toolchains.sh
@@ -162,14 +162,13 @@ echo '==>  Installing libfesvr static library'
 module_make riscv-isa-sim libfesvr.a
 cp -p "${SRCDIR}/riscv-isa-sim/build/libfesvr.a" "${RISCV}/lib/"
 
-CC= CXX= CFLAGS= CPPFLAGFS= CXXFLAGS= LDFLAGS= DEBUG_CXXFLAGS= DEBUG_CPPFLAGS= DEBUG_CFLAGS= OBJCOPY= \
-	module_all riscv-pk --prefix="${RISCV}" --host=riscv${XLEN}-unknown-elf
+CC= CXX= module_all riscv-pk --prefix="${RISCV}" --host=riscv${XLEN}-unknown-elf
 module_all riscv-tests --prefix="${RISCV}/riscv${XLEN}-unknown-elf" --with-xlen=${XLEN}
 
 # Common tools (not in any particular toolchain dir)
 
-CC= CXX= CFLAGS= CPPFLAGFS= CXXFLAGS= LDFLAGS= DEBUG_CXXFLAGS= DEBUG_CPPFLAGS= DEBUG_CFLAGS= \
-	SRCDIR="$(pwd)/toolchains" module_all libgloss --prefix="${RISCV}/riscv${XLEN}-unknown-elf" --host=riscv${XLEN}-unknown-elf
+CC= CXX= SRCDIR="$(pwd)/toolchains" module_all libgloss --prefix="${RISCV}/riscv${XLEN}-unknown-elf" --host=riscv${XLEN}-unknown-elf
+
 if [ -z "$IGNOREQEMU" ] ; then
     echo "=>  Starting qemu build"
     dir="$(pwd)/toolchains/qemu"
@@ -189,15 +188,8 @@ if [ -z "$IGNOREQEMU" ] ; then
     git -C "$dir" submodule foreach --quiet --recursive '! grep -q "git\.qemu\.org" .gitmodules 2>/dev/null' && \
     echo "==>  PLEASE REMOVE qemu URL-REWRITING from scripts/build-toolchains.sh. It is no longer needed!" && exit 1
 
-    ld_directive="$LD"
-    if [[ -n "${LD_GOLD:-z}" ]]; then
-	    # conda bfd ld suffers from https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/binutils/+bug/1907789
-	    # so use GOLD to link instead
-	    ld_directive="$LD_GOLD"
-    fi
-
     # now actually do the build
-    LD="$ld_directive" SRCDIR="$(pwd)/toolchains" module_build qemu --prefix="${RISCV}" --target-list=riscv${XLEN}-softmmu --disable-werror
+    SRCDIR="$(pwd)/toolchains" module_build qemu --prefix="${RISCV}" --target-list=riscv${XLEN}-softmmu --disable-werror
 fi
 
 # make Dromajo