diff --git a/srcpkgs/binutils/template b/srcpkgs/binutils/template
index 06a279cff2c..766b9ae8cb3 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/binutils/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/binutils/template
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ if [ "$CHROOT_READY" ]; then
 	checkdepends="bc"
 	depends="binutils-doc"
 else
-	unset XBPS_CHECK_PKGS
 	XBPS_TRIPLET=x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
 fi
 makedepends+=" zlib-devel"
@@ -43,6 +42,7 @@ do_configure() {
 		--enable-deterministic-archives --enable-ld=default \
 		--disable-nls $CONFIGFLAG
 }
+
 do_build() {
 	make ${makejobs}
 
@@ -62,11 +62,14 @@ do_build() {
 	make -C opcodes-pic clean
 	make CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fPIC" -C opcodes-pic
 }
+
+# if you enable this later, keep it off for [ -z "$CHROOT_READY" ]
 do_check() {
 	# Seems like upstream forgot to include their new
  	# test-driver executable in their tarball...
 	:
 }
+
 do_install() {
 	if [ "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" = "x86_64" ]; then
 		mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/usr/lib