diff --git a/include/unpack.mk b/include/unpack.mk
index 051846bd2f..94124e9ec6 100644
--- a/include/unpack.mk
+++ b/include/unpack.mk
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 ifeq ($(strip $(PKG_UNPACK)),)
   ifneq ($(HOST_OS),Linux)
-	TAR := trapret 2 $(PKG_UNPACK) $(TAR)
+	HOST_TAR:=trapret 2 $(TAR)
+  else
+    HOST_TAR:=$(TAR)
   endif
   ifneq ($(strip $(PKG_CAT)),)
     # use existing PKG_CAT
-    PKG_UNPACK:=$(PKG_CAT) $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE) | $(TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.. $(TAR_OPTIONS)
+    PKG_UNPACK:=$(PKG_CAT) $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE) | $(HOST_TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.. $(TAR_OPTIONS)
     ifeq ($(PKG_CAT),unzip)
       PKG_UNPACK:=unzip -d $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE)
     endif
     # replace zcat with $(ZCAT), because some system have it as gzcat
     ifeq ($(PKG_CAT),zcat)
-      PKG_UNPACK:=$(ZCAT) $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE) | $(TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.. $(TAR_OPTIONS)
+      PKG_UNPACK:=$(ZCAT) $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE) | $(HOST_TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.. $(TAR_OPTIONS)
     endif
   else
     # try to autodetect file type
diff --git a/toolchain/kernel-headers/Makefile b/toolchain/kernel-headers/Makefile
index 027d6a852f..47a55de57a 100644
--- a/toolchain/kernel-headers/Makefile
+++ b/toolchain/kernel-headers/Makefile
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
 
 define Build/Prepare
 	mkdir -p $(TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_DIR)
-	bzcat $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE) | $(TAR) -C $(TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_DIR) $(TAR_OPTIONS)
+	bzcat $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE) | $(HOST_TAR) -C $(TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_DIR) $(TAR_OPTIONS)
 	$(PATCH) $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) $(TOPDIR)/target/linux/generic-$(KERNEL)/patches
 	$(SED) 's/@expr length/@-expr length/' $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/Makefile
 	ln -sf $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) $(LINUX_HEADERS_DIR)