diff --git a/external/bsd/cron/bin/cron/Makefile b/external/bsd/cron/bin/cron/Makefile
index d88cd39cb666..d173b3181409 100644
--- a/external/bsd/cron/bin/cron/Makefile
+++ b/external/bsd/cron/bin/cron/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.2 2012/04/04 10:59:44 joerg Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.3 2012/06/22 20:32:34 abs Exp $
 
 BINDIR=	/usr/sbin
 PROG=	cron
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ CPPFLAGS+=-I${.CURDIR} -DLOGIN_CAP
 LDADD+=-lutil
 MAN=	cron.8
 
-CWARNFLAGS+=	-Wno-string-plus-int
+CWARNFLAGS.clang+=	-Wno-string-plus-int
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/external/gpl3/binutils/lib/libbfd/Makefile b/external/gpl3/binutils/lib/libbfd/Makefile
index 612248d90eb5..c0d07b6c8d61 100644
--- a/external/gpl3/binutils/lib/libbfd/Makefile
+++ b/external/gpl3/binutils/lib/libbfd/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.6 2011/09/25 04:32:46 christos Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.7 2012/06/22 20:32:35 abs Exp $
 
 NOLINKLIB=	# defined
 NOLINT=		# defined
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ CPPFLAGS+=	-I${.CURDIR}/arch/${BFD_MACHINE_ARCH} -I${DIST}/include -I. \
 		-I${DIST}/bfd ${GCPPFLAGS:M-D*} ${GCPPFLAGS:M-I*:N-I.*} \
 		-DDEBUGDIR=\"${DEBUGDIR}\"
 
+.if (${MACHINE_ARCH} == "vax")
+CPPFLAGS.elf.c +=	-O0
+.endif
+
 GSRCS=		${G_libbfd_la_OBJECTS:libbfd.lo=lib_bfd.lo} \
 		${G_libbfd_la_DEPENDENCIES:M*.lo}
 SRCS=		${GSRCS:.lo=.c}
diff --git a/external/gpl3/gdb/Makefile.inc b/external/gpl3/gdb/Makefile.inc
index 9542e22a47f9..98c13907ce2a 100644
--- a/external/gpl3/gdb/Makefile.inc
+++ b/external/gpl3/gdb/Makefile.inc
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# $NetBSD: Makefile.inc,v 1.5 2012/04/04 10:59:45 joerg Exp $
+# $NetBSD: Makefile.inc,v 1.6 2012/06/22 20:32:35 abs Exp $
 
 USE_LIBEDIT=no
 USE_TUI=yes
@@ -11,8 +11,4 @@ CWARNFLAGS.clang+=	-Wno-unused-value -Wno-conversion \
 			-Wno-tautological-compare -Wno-format-extra-args \
 			-Wno-string-plus-int
 
-.if ${MACHINE} == "vax"
-CWARNFLAGS.gcc+=	-Wno-overflow
-.endif
-
 DIST=		${NETBSDSRCDIR}/external/gpl3/gdb/dist
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index 171a8a3ad2ec..13809e50b866 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: bsd.own.mk,v 1.698 2012/06/17 22:59:48 uwe Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: bsd.own.mk,v 1.699 2012/06/22 20:32:35 abs Exp $
 
 # This needs to be before bsd.init.mk
 .if defined(BSD_MK_COMPAT_FILE)
@@ -47,8 +47,14 @@ NEED_OWN_INSTALL_TARGET?=	yes
 TOOLCHAIN_MISSING?=	no
 
 #
-# Everyone uses GCC4.5
+# Platforms still using GCC 4.1
+#
+.if ${MACHINE_CPU}  == "vax"
+HAVE_GCC?=    4
+.else
+# Otherwise, default to GCC4.5
 HAVE_GCC?=    45
+.endif
 
 .if \
     ${MACHINE_ARCH} == "i386" || \
diff --git a/share/mk/sys.mk b/share/mk/sys.mk
index 17b9e6e841e2..62c0dabbfb42 100644
--- a/share/mk/sys.mk
+++ b/share/mk/sys.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: sys.mk,v 1.108 2012/02/10 05:57:42 matt Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: sys.mk,v 1.109 2012/06/22 20:32:35 abs Exp $
 #	@(#)sys.mk	8.2 (Berkeley) 3/21/94
 
 unix?=		We run NetBSD.
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ DBG?=	-Os -freorder-blocks
 .elif ${MACHINE_ARCH} == "m68k" || ${MACHINE_ARCH} == "m68000"
 # see src/doc/HACKS for details
 DBG?=	-Os
-#.elif ${MACHINE_ARCH} == "vax"
-#DBG?=	-O1 -fgcse -fstrength-reduce -fgcse-after-reload
+.elif ${MACHINE_ARCH} == "vax"
+DBG?=	-O1 -fgcse -fstrength-reduce -fgcse-after-reload
 .else
 DBG?=	-O2
 .endif