diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 07143e4ad4..d39b9fb2d4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
 TOOLCHAIN := $(DEVKITARM)
 COMPARE ?= 0
 
-ifeq ($(CC),)
-HOSTCC := gcc
-else
-HOSTCC := $(CC)
-endif
-
-ifeq ($(CXX),)
-HOSTCXX := g++
-else
-HOSTCXX := $(CXX)
-endif
-
+# check if dkP's base_tools makefile exists
 ifneq (,$(wildcard $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools))
-include $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools
+    include $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools
+# otherwise, either use the bin files or the
+# arm-none-eabi binaries on the system
 else
-export PATH := $(TOOLCHAIN)/bin:$(PATH)
-PREFIX := arm-none-eabi-
-OBJCOPY := $(PREFIX)objcopy
-export CC := $(PREFIX)gcc
-export AS := $(PREFIX)as
+    ifneq ($(TOOLCHAIN),)
+    export PATH := $(TOOLCHAIN)/bin:$(PATH)
+    endif
+    PREFIX := arm-none-eabi-
+    OBJCOPY := $(PREFIX)objcopy
+	# note: the makefile must be set up so MODERNCC is never called
+	# if MODERN=0
+    export MODERNCC := $(PREFIX)gcc
+    export AS := $(PREFIX)as
 endif
+
+ifneq ($(TOOLCHAIN),)
 export CPP := $(PREFIX)cpp
+else
+export CPP := $(CC) -E
+endif
 export LD := $(PREFIX)ld
 
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ MAKER_CODE  := 01
 REVISION    := 0
 MODERN      ?= 0
 
+ROM_NAME := pokeemerald.gba
+ELF_NAME := $(ROM_NAME:.gba=.elf)
+MAP_NAME := $(ROM_NAME:.gba=.map)
+OBJ_DIR_NAME := build/emerald
+
+MODERN_ROM_NAME := pokeemerald_modern.gba
+MODERN_ELF_NAME := $(MODERN_ROM_NAME:.gba=.elf)
+MODERN_MAP_NAME := $(MODERN_ROM_NAME:.gba=.map)
+MODERN_OBJ_DIR_NAME := build/modern
+
 SHELL := /bin/bash -o pipefail
 
 ELF = $(ROM:.gba=.elf)
@@ -64,18 +74,18 @@ ASFLAGS := -mcpu=arm7tdmi --defsym MODERN=$(MODERN)
 ifeq ($(MODERN),0)
 CC1             := tools/agbcc/bin/agbcc$(EXE)
 override CFLAGS += -mthumb-interwork -Wimplicit -Wparentheses -Werror -O2 -fhex-asm
-ROM := pokeemerald.gba
-OBJ_DIR := build/emerald
+ROM := $(ROM_NAME)
+OBJ_DIR := $(OBJ_DIR_NAME)
 LIBPATH := -L ../../tools/agbcc/lib
 else
-CC1              = $(shell $(CC) --print-prog-name=cc1) -quiet
+CC1              = $(shell $(MODERNCC) --print-prog-name=cc1) -quiet
 override CFLAGS += -mthumb -mthumb-interwork -O2 -mabi=apcs-gnu -mtune=arm7tdmi -march=armv4t -fno-toplevel-reorder -Wno-pointer-to-int-cast
-ROM := pokeemerald_modern.gba
-OBJ_DIR := build/modern
-LIBPATH := -L "$(dir $(shell $(CC) -mthumb -print-file-name=libgcc.a))" -L "$(dir $(shell $(CC) -mthumb -print-file-name=libc.a))"
+ROM := $(MODERN_ROM_NAME)
+OBJ_DIR := $(MODERN_OBJ_DIR_NAME)
+LIBPATH := -L "$(dir $(shell $(MODERNCC) -mthumb -print-file-name=libgcc.a))" -L "$(dir $(shell $(MODERNCC) -mthumb -print-file-name=libc.a))"
 endif
 
-CPPFLAGS := -iquote include -iquote $(GFLIB_SUBDIR) -Wno-trigraphs -DMODERN=$(MODERN)
+CPPFLAGS := -iquote include -iquote $(GFLIB_SUBDIR) -Wno-trigraphs -DMODERN=$(MODERN) -nostdinc -undef
 ifeq ($(MODERN),0)
 CPPFLAGS += -I tools/agbcc/include -I tools/agbcc
 endif
@@ -111,7 +121,7 @@ MAKEFLAGS += --no-print-directory
 # Secondary expansion is required for dependency variables in object rules.
 .SECONDEXPANSION:
 
-.PHONY: all rom clean compare tidy tools mostlyclean clean-tools $(TOOLDIRS) berry_fix libagbsyscall modern
+.PHONY: all rom clean compare tidy tools mostlyclean clean-tools $(TOOLDIRS) berry_fix libagbsyscall modern tidymodern tidynonmodern
 
 infoshell = $(foreach line, $(shell $1 | sed "s/ /__SPACE__/g"), $(info $(subst __SPACE__, ,$(line))))
 
@@ -162,7 +172,7 @@ all: rom
 tools: $(TOOLDIRS)
 
 $(TOOLDIRS):
-	@$(MAKE) -C $@ CC=$(HOSTCC) CXX=$(HOSTCXX)
+	@$(MAKE) -C $@
 
 rom: $(ROM)
 ifeq ($(COMPARE),1)
@@ -177,7 +187,7 @@ clean: mostlyclean clean-tools
 clean-tools:
 	@$(foreach tooldir,$(TOOLDIRS),$(MAKE) clean -C $(tooldir);)
 
-mostlyclean: tidy
+mostlyclean: tidynonmodern tidymodern
 	rm -f $(SAMPLE_SUBDIR)/*.bin
 	rm -f $(CRY_SUBDIR)/*.bin
 	rm -f $(MID_SUBDIR)/*.s
@@ -192,10 +202,15 @@ mostlyclean: tidy
 tidy:
 	rm -f $(ROM) $(ELF) $(MAP)
 	rm -r $(OBJ_DIR)
-ifeq ($(MODERN),0)
-	@$(MAKE) tidy MODERN=1
-endif
 
+tidynonmodern:
+	rm -f $(ROM_NAME) $(ELF_NAME) $(MAP_NAME)
+	rm -rf $(OBJ_DIR_NAME)
+
+tidymodern:
+	rm -f $(MODERN_ROM_NAME) $(MODERN_ELF_NAME) $(MODERN_MAP_NAME)
+	rm -rf $(MODERN_OBJ_DIR_NAME)
+	
 ifneq ($(MODERN),0)
 $(C_BUILDDIR)/berry_crush.o: override CFLAGS += -Wno-address-of-packed-member
 endif
@@ -296,11 +311,11 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(NODEP),1)
 $(DATA_ASM_BUILDDIR)/%.o: $(DATA_ASM_SUBDIR)/%.s
-	$(PREPROC) $< charmap.txt | $(CPP) -I include | $(AS) $(ASFLAGS) -o $@
+	$(PREPROC) $< charmap.txt | $(CPP) -I include - | $(AS) $(ASFLAGS) -o $@
 else
 define DATA_ASM_DEP
 $1: $2 $$(shell $(SCANINC) -I include -I "" $2)
-	$$(PREPROC) $$< charmap.txt | $$(CPP) -I include | $$(AS) $$(ASFLAGS) -o $$@
+	$$(PREPROC) $$< charmap.txt | $$(CPP) -I include - | $$(AS) $$(ASFLAGS) -o $$@
 endef
 $(foreach src, $(REGULAR_DATA_ASM_SRCS), $(eval $(call DATA_ASM_DEP,$(patsubst $(DATA_ASM_SUBDIR)/%.s,$(DATA_ASM_BUILDDIR)/%.o, $(src)),$(src))))
 endif
diff --git a/berry_fix/Makefile b/berry_fix/Makefile
index 0ead3804fd..dd52792ec2 100644
--- a/berry_fix/Makefile
+++ b/berry_fix/Makefile
@@ -1,28 +1,26 @@
 TOOLCHAIN := $(DEVKITARM)
 COMPARE ?= 0
 
-ifeq ($(CC),)
-HOSTCC := gcc
-else
-HOSTCC := $(CC)
-endif
-
-ifeq ($(CXX),)
-HOSTCXX := g++
-else
-HOSTCXX := $(CXX)
-endif
-
+# check if dkP's base_tools makefile exists
 ifneq (,$(wildcard $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools))
-include $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools
+    include $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools
+# otherwise, either use the bin files or the
+# arm-none-eabi binaries on the system
 else
-export PATH := $(TOOLCHAIN)/bin:$(PATH)
-PREFIX := arm-none-eabi-
-OBJCOPY := $(PREFIX)objcopy
-export CC := $(PREFIX)gcc
-export AS := $(PREFIX)as
+    ifneq ($(TOOLCHAIN),)
+    export PATH := $(TOOLCHAIN)/bin:$(PATH)
+    endif
+    PREFIX := arm-none-eabi-
+    OBJCOPY := $(PREFIX)objcopy
+    export MODERNCC := $(PREFIX)gcc
+    export AS := $(PREFIX)as
 endif
+
+ifneq ($(TOOLCHAIN),)
 export CPP := $(PREFIX)cpp
+else
+export CPP := $(CC) -E
+endif
 export LD := $(PREFIX)ld
 
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
diff --git a/berry_fix/payload/Makefile b/berry_fix/payload/Makefile
index a121fda93b..20d3d60c81 100644
--- a/berry_fix/payload/Makefile
+++ b/berry_fix/payload/Makefile
@@ -1,28 +1,26 @@
 TOOLCHAIN := $(DEVKITARM)
 COMPARE ?= 0
 
-ifeq ($(CC),)
-HOSTCC := gcc
-else
-HOSTCC := $(CC)
-endif
-
-ifeq ($(CXX),)
-HOSTCXX := g++
-else
-HOSTCXX := $(CXX)
-endif
-
+# check if dkP's base_tools makefile exists
 ifneq (,$(wildcard $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools))
-include $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools
+    include $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools
+# otherwise, either use the bin files or the
+# arm-none-eabi binaries on the system
 else
-export PATH := $(TOOLCHAIN)/bin:$(PATH)
-PREFIX := arm-none-eabi-
-OBJCOPY := $(PREFIX)objcopy
-export CC := $(PREFIX)gcc
-export AS := $(PREFIX)as
+    ifneq ($(TOOLCHAIN),)
+    export PATH := $(TOOLCHAIN)/bin:$(PATH)
+    endif
+    PREFIX := arm-none-eabi-
+    OBJCOPY := $(PREFIX)objcopy
+    export MODERNCC := $(PREFIX)gcc
+    export AS := $(PREFIX)as
 endif
+
+ifneq ($(TOOLCHAIN),)
 export CPP := $(PREFIX)cpp
+else
+export CPP := $(CC) -E
+endif
 export LD := $(PREFIX)ld
 
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
diff --git a/libagbsyscall/Makefile b/libagbsyscall/Makefile
index 911cdb237c..6c0ba681ed 100644
--- a/libagbsyscall/Makefile
+++ b/libagbsyscall/Makefile
@@ -1,30 +1,27 @@
 TOOLCHAIN := $(DEVKITARM)
 COMPARE ?= 0
 
-ifeq ($(CC),)
-HOSTCC := gcc
-else
-HOSTCC := $(CC)
-endif
-
-ifeq ($(CXX),)
-HOSTCXX := g++
-else
-HOSTCXX := $(CXX)
-endif
-
+# check if dkP's base_tools makefile exists
 ifneq (,$(wildcard $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools))
-include $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools
+    include $(TOOLCHAIN)/base_tools
+# otherwise, either use the bin files or the
+# arm-none-eabi binaries on the system
 else
-export PATH := $(TOOLCHAIN)/bin:$(PATH)
-PREFIX := arm-none-eabi-
-OBJCOPY := $(PREFIX)objcopy
-export CC := $(PREFIX)gcc
-export AS := $(PREFIX)as
+    ifneq ($(TOOLCHAIN),)
+    export PATH := $(TOOLCHAIN)/bin:$(PATH)
+    endif
+    PREFIX := arm-none-eabi-
+    OBJCOPY := $(PREFIX)objcopy
+    export MODERNCC := $(PREFIX)gcc
+    export AS := $(PREFIX)as
 endif
-export CPP := $(PREFIX)cpp
-export LD := $(PREFIX)ld
 
+ifneq ($(TOOLCHAIN),)
+export CPP := $(PREFIX)cpp
+else
+export CPP := $(CC) -E
+endif
+export LD := $(PREFIX)ld
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
 EXE := .exe
 else
diff --git a/map_data_rules.mk b/map_data_rules.mk
index 0203b383d0..626cd47240 100755
--- a/map_data_rules.mk
+++ b/map_data_rules.mk
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ MAP_EVENTS := $(patsubst $(MAPS_DIR)/%/,$(MAPS_DIR)/%/events.inc,$(MAP_DIRS))
 MAP_HEADERS := $(patsubst $(MAPS_DIR)/%/,$(MAPS_DIR)/%/header.inc,$(MAP_DIRS))
 
 $(DATA_ASM_BUILDDIR)/maps.o: $(DATA_ASM_SUBDIR)/maps.s $(LAYOUTS_DIR)/layouts.inc $(LAYOUTS_DIR)/layouts_table.inc $(MAPS_DIR)/headers.inc $(MAPS_DIR)/groups.inc $(MAPS_DIR)/connections.inc $(MAP_CONNECTIONS) $(MAP_HEADERS)
-	$(PREPROC) $< charmap.txt | $(CPP) -I include | $(AS) $(ASFLAGS) -o $@
+	$(PREPROC) $< charmap.txt | $(CPP) -I include - | $(AS) $(ASFLAGS) -o $@
 $(DATA_ASM_BUILDDIR)/map_events.o: $(DATA_ASM_SUBDIR)/map_events.s $(MAPS_DIR)/events.inc $(MAP_EVENTS)
-	$(PREPROC) $< charmap.txt | $(CPP) -I include | $(AS) $(ASFLAGS) -o $@
+	$(PREPROC) $< charmap.txt | $(CPP) -I include - | $(AS) $(ASFLAGS) -o $@
 
 $(MAPS_DIR)/%/header.inc: $(MAPS_DIR)/%/map.json
 	$(MAPJSON) map emerald $< $(LAYOUTS_DIR)/layouts.json