diff --git a/Lib/sysconfig.py b/Lib/sysconfig.py
index 122d441bd19f5e..5cd636ee9f29ed 100644
--- a/Lib/sysconfig.py
+++ b/Lib/sysconfig.py
@@ -533,7 +533,25 @@ def _init_posix(vars):
     """Initialize the module as appropriate for POSIX systems."""
     # _sysconfigdata is generated at build time, see _generate_posix_vars()
     name = _get_sysconfigdata_name()
-    _temp = __import__(name, globals(), locals(), ['build_time_vars'], 0)
+
+    # For cross builds, this path used to be in PYTHONPATH, however, for
+    # host SOABI == target SOABI situations, the target modules would be loaded
+    # instead of host modules due to their precedence in sys.path. This could
+    # cause build problems as the target may link against a different libc or
+    # attempt to execute unsupported instructions.
+    #
+    # The sysconfig data is a special case. Certain build steps need this to
+    # query the target's info so it needs to preempt the host's sysconfig data.
+    # Since it is a simple pure python module, it is safe to load from file.
+    path = os.environ.get('_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH')
+    if path is not None:
+        from importlib.machinery import FileFinder, SourceFileLoader, SOURCE_SUFFIXES
+        from importlib.util import module_from_spec
+        spec = FileFinder(path, (SourceFileLoader, SOURCE_SUFFIXES)).find_spec(name)
+        _temp = module_from_spec(spec)
+        spec.loader.exec_module(_temp)
+    else:
+        _temp = __import__(name, globals(), locals(), ['build_time_vars'], 0)
     build_time_vars = _temp.build_time_vars
     vars.update(build_time_vars)
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/libregrtest/main.py b/Lib/test/libregrtest/main.py
index a9725fa967370a..121e2e73938582 100644
--- a/Lib/test/libregrtest/main.py
+++ b/Lib/test/libregrtest/main.py
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ def _add_cross_compile_opts(self, regrtest_opts):
                 '_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE',
                 '_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM',
                 '_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME',
+                "_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH",
                 'PYTHONPATH'
             }
             old_environ = os.environ
diff --git a/Lib/test/pythoninfo.py b/Lib/test/pythoninfo.py
index 74ebb5e5b8a292..fa7fbca34e1946 100644
--- a/Lib/test/pythoninfo.py
+++ b/Lib/test/pythoninfo.py
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ def format_groups(groups):
         "_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM",
         "_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE",
         "_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME",
+        "_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH",
         "__PYVENV_LAUNCHER__",
 
         # Sanitizer options
diff --git a/Tools/scripts/run_tests.py b/Tools/scripts/run_tests.py
index 445a34ae3e8eee..4077a834245267 100644
--- a/Tools/scripts/run_tests.py
+++ b/Tools/scripts/run_tests.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def main(regrtest_args):
             '_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE',
             '_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM',
             '_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME',
+            "_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH",
             'PYTHONPATH'
         }
         environ = {
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index e962a6aed12d27..8c19c2f90c9237 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3686,7 +3686,7 @@ fi
     fi
         ac_cv_prog_PYTHON_FOR_REGEN=$with_build_python
     PYTHON_FOR_FREEZE="$with_build_python"
-    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`:)$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) '$with_build_python
+    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`) '$with_build_python
     { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $with_build_python" >&5
 printf "%s\n" "$with_build_python" >&6; }
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 384718db1f08d9..21d4233752f7ec 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([build-python],
     dnl Build Python interpreter is used for regeneration and freezing.
     ac_cv_prog_PYTHON_FOR_REGEN=$with_build_python
     PYTHON_FOR_FREEZE="$with_build_python"
-    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`:)$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) '$with_build_python
+    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`) '$with_build_python
     AC_MSG_RESULT([$with_build_python])
   ], [
     AS_VAR_IF([cross_compiling], [yes],