diff --git a/meta/classes-global/base.bbclass b/meta/classes-global/base.bbclass
index 4ac3b83eb5..e55a538e36 100644
--- a/meta/classes-global/base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-global/base.bbclass
@@ -19,6 +19,21 @@ PACKAGECONFIG_CONFARGS ??= ""
 
 inherit metadata_scm
 
+PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN_TARGET ??= "gcc"
+PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN_NATIVE ??= "gcc"
+PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN_SDK ??= "gcc"
+
+PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN = "${PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN_TARGET}"
+PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN:class-native = "${PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN_NATIVE}"
+PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN:class-cross = "${PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN_NATIVE}"
+PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN:class-crosssdk = "${PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN_SDK}"
+PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN:class-nativesdk = "${PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN_SDK}"
+
+TOOLCHAIN ??= "${PREFERRED_TOOLCHAIN}"
+
+inherit toolchain/gcc-native
+inherit_defer toolchain/${TOOLCHAIN}
+
 def lsb_distro_identifier(d):
     adjust = d.getVar('LSB_DISTRO_ADJUST')
     adjust_func = None
diff --git a/meta/conf/toolchain/clang.inc b/meta/classes/toolchain/clang.bbclass
similarity index 100%
rename from meta/conf/toolchain/clang.inc
rename to meta/classes/toolchain/clang.bbclass
diff --git a/meta/conf/toolchain/build-gcc.inc b/meta/classes/toolchain/gcc-native.bbclass
similarity index 100%
rename from meta/conf/toolchain/build-gcc.inc
rename to meta/classes/toolchain/gcc-native.bbclass
diff --git a/meta/conf/toolchain/gcc.inc b/meta/classes/toolchain/gcc.bbclass
similarity index 100%
rename from meta/conf/toolchain/gcc.inc
rename to meta/classes/toolchain/gcc.bbclass
diff --git a/meta/conf/bitbake.conf b/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
index 8686c0a25f..aa184ff9f5 100644
--- a/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
+++ b/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
@@ -834,9 +834,6 @@ include conf/licenses.conf
 require conf/sanity.conf
 include conf/bblock.conf
 
-require toolchain/gcc.inc
-require toolchain/build-gcc.inc
-
 ##################################################################
 # Weak variables (usually to retain backwards compatibility)
 ##################################################################
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/binutils/binutils-cross.inc b/meta/recipes-devtools/binutils/binutils-cross.inc
index 9c371e7e13..c545ea2ad9 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/binutils/binutils-cross.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/binutils/binutils-cross.inc
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ TARGET_ARCH[vardepvalue] = "${TARGET_ARCH}"
 INHIBIT_DEFAULT_DEPS = "1"
 INHIBIT_AUTOTOOLS_DEPS = "1"
 
+TOOLCHAIN = "gcc"
+
 SRC_URI += "file://0002-binutils-cross-Do-not-generate-linker-script-directo.patch"
 
 # Specify lib-path else we use a load of search dirs which we don't use
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/clang/clang-cross_git.bb b/meta/recipes-devtools/clang/clang-cross_git.bb
index 9b9b120a3d..323cc0d880 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/clang/clang-cross_git.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/clang/clang-cross_git.bb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ PN = "clang-cross-${TARGET_ARCH}"
 require common-clang.inc
 require common-source.inc
 inherit cross
+TOOLCHAIN = "clang"
 DEPENDS += "clang-native virtual/cross-binutils"
 
 #INHIBIT_PACKAGE_STRIP = "1"
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/clang/clang-crosssdk_git.bb b/meta/recipes-devtools/clang/clang-crosssdk_git.bb
index 47ac96f4f9..ef162ef153 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/clang/clang-crosssdk_git.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/clang/clang-crosssdk_git.bb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ PN = "clang-crosssdk-${SDK_SYS}"
 require common-clang.inc
 require common-source.inc
 inherit crosssdk
+TOOLCHAIN = "clang"
 DEPENDS += "clang-native nativesdk-clang-glue virtual/nativesdk-cross-binutils virtual/nativesdk-libc"
 
 do_install() {