diff --git a/toolchain/helpers.mk b/toolchain/helpers.mk
index 77303a86eb..30880e5518 100644
--- a/toolchain/helpers.mk
+++ b/toolchain/helpers.mk
@@ -277,7 +277,6 @@ check_uclibc = \
 #
 check_arm_abi = \
 	__CROSS_CC=$(strip $1) ; \
-	__CROSS_READELF=$(strip $2) ; \
 	EXT_TOOLCHAIN_TARGET=`LANG=C $${__CROSS_CC} -v 2>&1 | grep ^Target | cut -f2 -d ' '` ; \
 	if ! echo $${EXT_TOOLCHAIN_TARGET} | grep -qE 'eabi(hf)?$$' ; then \
 		echo "External toolchain uses the unsuported OABI" ; \
diff --git a/toolchain/toolchain-external/pkg-toolchain-external.mk b/toolchain/toolchain-external/pkg-toolchain-external.mk
index 8bb7b40d12..17773689dd 100644
--- a/toolchain/toolchain-external/pkg-toolchain-external.mk
+++ b/toolchain/toolchain-external/pkg-toolchain-external.mk
@@ -553,8 +553,7 @@ define $(2)_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 		$$(call qstrip,$$(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST))); \
 	if test "$$(BR2_arm)" = "y" ; then \
 		$$(call check_arm_abi,\
-			"$$(TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CC) $$(TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CFLAGS)",\
-			$$(TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_READELF)) ; \
+			"$$(TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CC) $$(TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CFLAGS)") ; \
 	fi ; \
 	if test "$$(BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP)" = "y" ; then \
 		$$(call check_cplusplus,$$(TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CXX)) ; \