diff --git a/toolchain/helpers.mk b/toolchain/helpers.mk
index 4d90d15ecb..7f3efaa40d 100644
--- a/toolchain/helpers.mk
+++ b/toolchain/helpers.mk
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ copy_toolchain_lib_root = \
 #    non-default architecture variant is used. Without this, the
 #    compiler fails to find libraries and headers.
 #
+# Note that the 'locale' directories are not copied. They are huge
+# (400+MB) in CodeSourcery toolchains, and they are not really useful.
+#
 # $1: main sysroot directory of the toolchain
 # $2: arch specific sysroot directory of the toolchain
 # $3: arch specific subdirectory in the sysroot
@@ -89,7 +92,7 @@ copy_toolchain_sysroot = \
 	ARCH_SUBDIR="$(strip $3)"; \
 	for i in etc lib sbin usr ; do \
 		if [ -d $${ARCH_SYSROOT_DIR}/$$i ] ; then \
-			cp -a $${ARCH_SYSROOT_DIR}/$$i $(STAGING_DIR)/ ; \
+			rsync -au --exclude 'usr/lib/locale' $${ARCH_SYSROOT_DIR}/$$i $(STAGING_DIR)/ ; \
 		fi ; \
 	done ; \
 	if [ `readlink -f $${SYSROOT_DIR}` != `readlink -f $${ARCH_SYSROOT_DIR}` ] ; then \