diff --git a/distro-build-client/installer-dmg.rkt b/distro-build-client/installer-dmg.rkt
index c2c4651..36aa49b 100644
--- a/distro-build-client/installer-dmg.rkt
+++ b/distro-build-client/installer-dmg.rkt
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
          racket/runtime-path
          ds-store
          ds-store/alias
-         compiler/exe-dylib-path)
+         compiler/exe-dylib-path
+         setup/cross-system)
 
 (provide installer-dmg
          make-dmg)
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@
 (define (installer-dmg human-name base-name dist-suffix readme sign-identity)
   (define dmg-name (format "bundle/~a-~a~a.dmg"
                            base-name
-                           (system-library-subpath #f)
+                           (cross-system-library-subpath #f)
                            dist-suffix))
   (make-dmg human-name "bundle/racket" dmg-name bg-image readme sign-identity)
   dmg-name)
diff --git a/distro-build-client/installer-exe.rkt b/distro-build-client/installer-exe.rkt
index 5ca6b62..e436e38 100644
--- a/distro-build-client/installer-exe.rkt
+++ b/distro-build-client/installer-exe.rkt
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
          racket/system
 	 racket/path
          racket/runtime-path
-         setup/getinfo)
+         setup/getinfo
+         setup/cross-system)
 
 (provide installer-exe)
 
@@ -405,15 +406,21 @@ SectionEnd
      (display script o)
      (newline o)))
   (parameterize ([current-directory "bundle"])
-    (system* makensis "/V3" "installer.nsi")))
+    (define verbose (if (eq? 'windows (system-type))
+                        "/V3"
+                        "-V3"))
+    (system* makensis verbose "installer.nsi")))
 
 (define (installer-exe human-name base-name versionless? dist-suffix readme)
-  (define makensis (or (find-executable-path "makensis.exe")
-                       (try-exe "c:\\Program Files\\NSIS\\makensis.exe")
-                       (try-exe "c:\\Program Files (x86)\\NSIS\\makensis.exe")
+  (define makensis (or (case (system-type)
+                         [(windows)
+                          (or (find-executable-path "makensis.exe")
+                              (try-exe "c:\\Program Files\\NSIS\\makensis.exe")
+                              (try-exe "c:\\Program Files (x86)\\NSIS\\makensis.exe"))]
+                         [else (find-executable-path "makensis")])
                        (error 'installer-exe "cannot find \"makensis.exe\"")))
-  (define platform (let-values ([(base name dir?) (split-path (system-library-subpath #f))])
-                     (path->string name)))
+  (define platform (let-values ([(base name dir?) (split-path (cross-system-library-subpath #f))])
+                     (bytes->string/utf-8 (path-element->bytes name))))
   (define exe-path (format "bundle/~a-~a-win32~a.exe" base-name platform dist-suffix))
   (when readme
     (call-with-output-file*
diff --git a/distro-build-client/installer-pkg.rkt b/distro-build-client/installer-pkg.rkt
index 231f94c..a48d87b 100644
--- a/distro-build-client/installer-pkg.rkt
+++ b/distro-build-client/installer-pkg.rkt
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
          racket/runtime-path
          ds-store
          ds-store/alias
-         xml)
+         xml
+         setup/cross-system)
 
 (provide installer-pkg)
 
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@
 (define (installer-pkg human-name base-name dist-suffix readme sign-identity)
   (define pkg-name (format "bundle/~a-~a~a.pkg"
                            base-name
-                           (system-library-subpath #f)
+                           (cross-system-library-subpath #f)
                            dist-suffix))
   (make-pkg human-name "bundle/racket" pkg-name readme sign-identity)
   pkg-name)
diff --git a/distro-build-client/installer-sh.rkt b/distro-build-client/installer-sh.rkt
index 5bec270..f4ca7b9 100644
--- a/distro-build-client/installer-sh.rkt
+++ b/distro-build-client/installer-sh.rkt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
          racket/port
          racket/format
          racket/runtime-path
+         setup/cross-system
          file/tar)
 
 (provide installer-sh)
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@
 (define (installer-sh human-name base-name dir-name release? dist-suffix readme)
   (define sh-path (format "bundle/~a-~a~a.sh" 
                           base-name 
-                          (system-library-subpath #f) 
+                          (cross-system-library-subpath #f) 
                           dist-suffix))
   (generate-installer-sh "bundle/racket" sh-path
                          dir-name human-name
diff --git a/distro-build-client/installer.rkt b/distro-build-client/installer.rkt
index bd5e9d7..c355e0a 100644
--- a/distro-build-client/installer.rkt
+++ b/distro-build-client/installer.rkt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
          racket/file
          racket/path
          racket/port
+         setup/cross-system
          "display-time.rkt")
 
 (module test racket/base)
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@
 (define installer-file
   (if source?
       (installer-tgz base-name dir-name dist-suffix readme)
-      (case (system-type)
+      (case (cross-system-type)
         [(unix) (installer-sh human-name base-name dir-name release? dist-suffix readme)]
         [(macosx) (if mac-pkg?
                       (installer-pkg (if (or release? versionless?)
diff --git a/distro-build-doc/distro-build.scrbl b/distro-build-doc/distro-build.scrbl
index ec3e44a..d0996f7 100644
--- a/distro-build-doc/distro-build.scrbl
+++ b/distro-build-doc/distro-build.scrbl
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ default accepts only connections via @racket["localhost"].
 
 On the client machine, all work is performed at a specified directory
 as specified by @racket[#:dir]. The directory defaults to
-@filepath{build/plt} (Unix, Mac OS X) or @filepath{build\plt}
+@filepath{build/plt} (Unix or Mac OS X) or @filepath{build\plt}
 (Windows), except when the host is @racket["localhost"] and the client
 is @racket[#f], in which case the current directory (i.e., the
 server's directory) is used.
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ installers.
 
 @section{Machine Requirements}
 
-Each Unix or Mac OS X @tech{client machines} needs the following available:
+Each Unix or Mac OS X @tech{client machine} needs the following available:
 
 @itemlist[
 
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ Each Unix or Mac OS X @tech{client machines} needs the following available:
 
   @item{@exec{gcc}, @exec{make}, etc.}
 
+  @item{when creating a Windows installer (via cross-compilation),
+        Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS) version 2.x with
+        @exec{makensis} in @envvar{PATH}}
+
 ]
 
 Each Windows @tech{client machine} needs the following:
@@ -138,15 +142,18 @@ Each Windows @tech{client machine} needs the following:
     or
      @filepath{C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio @nonterm{vers}}}
      
-  @item{Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS) verstion 2.x, installed
+  @item{Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS) version 2.x, installed
     in the default folder:
      @filepath{C:\Program Files\NSIS\makensis.exe}
     or
      @filepath{C:\Program Files (x86)\NSIS\makensis.exe}
-    or installed so that @exec{makensis} in your @envvar{PATH}.}
+    or installed so that @exec{makensis} in @envvar{PATH}}
 
 ]
 
+Currently, Windows and Unix variants can be cross-compiled using a
+same-versioned native Racket installation on a client machine that
+runs Unix or Mac OS X.
 
 @; ----------------------------------------
 
@@ -209,6 +216,13 @@ spaces, etc.):
     directory if the host is @racket["localhost"] and the user is
     @racket[#f]}
 
+  @item{@racket[#:env (list (list _string* _string) ...)] ---
+    environment-variable settings to prefix all client-machine
+    interactions for a Unix or Mac OS X client; for example
+    @racket['(("PATH" "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"))] configures the
+    client machine's @envvar{PATH} enviornment variable to have
+    only @filepath{/usr/local/bin} and @filepath{/usr/bin}}
+
   @item{@racket[#:server _string*] --- the address of the server as
     accessed by the client; when SSH remote tunneling works, then
     @racket["localhost"] should work to reach the server; defaults to
@@ -234,6 +248,13 @@ spaces, etc.):
   @item{@racket[#:pkgs (list _string* ...)] --- packages to install;
     defaults to the @tt{PKGS} makefile variable}
 
+  @item{@racket[#:racket _string-or-false] --- path to a native Racket
+    executable when using the client machine for cross-compilation; if
+    the value is @racket[#f], the the Racket executable generated for
+    the client machine is used to prepare the installer; a
+    non-@racket[#f] typically must be combined with
+    @racket[#:configure] arguments to set up cross-compilation}
+
   @item{@racket[#:dist-base-url _string] --- a URL that is used to
     construct a default for @racket[#:doc-search] and
     @racket[#:dist-catalogs], where the constructed values are
@@ -349,8 +370,8 @@ spaces, etc.):
   @item{@racket[#:source-runtime? _boolean] --- if true, then create
     an archive that contains the run-time system in source form
     (possibly with built packages), instead of a platform-specific
-    installer; a @racket[#t] value works best when used with a Unix
-    client machine, since Unix clients typically have no
+    installer; a @racket[#t] value works best when used for a Unix
+    build, since Unix clients typically have no
     native-library packages; the default is the value of
     @racket[#:source?]}
 
diff --git a/distro-build-server/config.rkt b/distro-build-server/config.rkt
index 7f5a424..b71bbc3 100644
--- a/distro-build-server/config.rkt
+++ b/distro-build-server/config.rkt
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@
 (define (check-group-keyword kw val)
   (case kw
     [(#:pkgs) (and (list? val) (andmap simple-string? val))]
+    [(#:racket) (or (not val) (string? val))]
     [(#:doc-search) (string? val)]
     [(#:dist-name) (string? val)]
     [(#:dist-base) (simple-string? val)]
@@ -130,6 +131,13 @@
     [(#:user) (or (not val) (simple-string? val))]
     [(#:port) (port-no? val)]
     [(#:dir) (path-string? val)]
+    [(#:env) (and (list? val)
+                  (andmap (lambda (p)
+                            (and (list? p)
+                                 (= 2 (length p))
+                                 (simple-string? (car p))
+                                 (string? (cadr p))))
+                          val))]
     [(#:vbox) (string? val)]
     [(#:platform) (memq val '(unix macosx windows windows/bash))]
     [(#:configure) (and (list? val) (andmap string? val))]
diff --git a/distro-build-server/drive-clients.rkt b/distro-build-server/drive-clients.rkt
index 2258600..943f651 100644
--- a/distro-build-server/drive-clients.rkt
+++ b/distro-build-server/drive-clients.rkt
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@
                  (if l
                      (apply ~a #:separator " " l)
                      default-pkgs)))
+  (define racket (get-opt c '#:racket))
   (define doc-search (choose-doc-search c default-doc-search))
   (define dist-name (or (get-opt c '#:dist-name)
                         default-dist-name))
@@ -264,6 +265,9 @@
   (~a " SERVER=" server
       " SERVER_PORT=" server-port
       " PKGS=" (q pkgs)
+      (if racket
+          (~a " PLAIN_RACKET=" (q racket))
+          "")
       " DOC_SEARCH=" (q doc-search)
       " DIST_DESC=" (q desc)
       " DIST_NAME=" (q dist-name)
@@ -286,8 +290,15 @@
 
 (define (unix-build c platform host port user server server-port repo clean? pull? readme)
   (define dir (get-path-opt c '#:dir "build/plt" #:localhost (current-directory)))
+  (define env (get-opt c '#:env null))
   (define (sh . args)
-    (list "/bin/sh" "-c" (apply ~a args)))
+    (append
+     (if (null? env)
+         null
+         (list* "/usr/bin/env"
+                (for/list ([e (in-list env)])
+                  (format "~a=~a" (car e) (cadr e)))))
+     (list "/bin/sh" "-c" (apply ~a args))))
   (define j (or (get-opt c '#:j) 1))
   (try-until-ready c host port user server-port 'unix (sh "echo hello"))
   (ssh-script