diff --git a/srcpkgs/perl/files/arm-linux-gnueabihf/config.sh b/srcpkgs/perl/files/arm-linux-gnueabihf/config.sh
index db002f9d94e..64bb04faed2 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/perl/files/arm-linux-gnueabihf/config.sh
+++ b/srcpkgs/perl/files/arm-linux-gnueabihf/config.sh
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ stdio_stream_array=''
 strerror_r_proto='REENTRANT_PROTO_B_IBW'
 strings='/usr/include/string.h'
 submit=''
-subversion='2'
+subversion='@@PERL_SUBVERSION@@'
 sysman='/usr/share/man/man1'
 tail=''
 tar=''
@@ -1107,8 +1107,8 @@ vendorprefix='/usr'
 vendorprefixexp='/usr'
 vendorscript='/usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/bin'
 vendorscriptexp='/usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/bin'
-version='5.16.2'
-version_patchlevel_string='version 16 subversion 2'
+version='@@PERL_VERSION@@'
+version_patchlevel_string='@@PERL_VERSION@@'
 versiononly='undef'
 vi=''
 voidflags='15'
diff --git a/srcpkgs/perl/template b/srcpkgs/perl/template
index 21c07f3627a..89b96274d74 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/perl/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/perl/template
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Template build file for 'perl'.
 pkgname=perl
 version=5.16.3
-revision=1
+revision=2
 makedepends="which gdbm-devel db-devel less groff"
 short_desc="Practical Extraction and Report Language"
 maintainer="Juan RP <xtraeme@gmail.com>"
@@ -173,8 +173,17 @@ do_configure() {
 
 	if [ -n "$XBPS_CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
 		# Copy target files
+		if [ ! -d $FILESDIR/$XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET ]; then
+			msg_error "$pkgver: cannot be cross built for $XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET, contact $maintainer.\n"
+		fi
 		cp -f ${FILESDIR}/${XBPS_CROSS_TRIPLET}/* .
 		cp -f ${FILESDIR}/Configure.cross .
+
+		# substitute some required strings in generated config.sh
+		sed -e "s|@@PERL_VERSION@@|${version}|g" \
+			-e "s|@@PERL_SUBVERSION@@|${version##*.}|g" \
+			-i config.sh
+
 		sh ./Configure.cross
 		perl -Ilib make_patchnum.pl
 	else