diff --git a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
index 7a780f8..a99d516 100644
--- a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@
 .PHONY : lib${1}_dirs
 lib${1}_dirs: | ${BUILD_DIR} ${LIB_DIR}  ${ROMLIB_DIR} ${LIBWRAPPER_DIR}
 libraries: ${LIB_DIR}/lib$(1).a
-ifneq ($(findstring armlink,$(notdir $(LD))),)
+ifeq ($($(ARCH)-ld-id),arm-link)
 LDPATHS = --userlibpath=${LIB_DIR}
 LDLIBS += --library=$(1)
 else
@@ -575,14 +575,14 @@
 	       const char version[] = "${VERSION}";' | \
 		$($(ARCH)-cc) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -xc -c - -o $(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o
 endif
-ifneq ($(findstring armlink,$(notdir $(LD))),)
+ifeq ($($(ARCH)-ld-id),arm-link)
 	$$(Q)$($(ARCH)-ld) -o $$@ $$(TF_LDFLAGS) $$(LDFLAGS) $(BL_LDFLAGS) --entry=${1}_entrypoint \
 		--predefine="-D__LINKER__=$(__LINKER__)" \
 		--predefine="-DTF_CFLAGS=$(TF_CFLAGS)" \
 		--map --list="$(MAPFILE)" --scatter=${PLAT_DIR}/scat/${1}.scat \
 		$(LDPATHS) $(LIBWRAPPER) $(LDLIBS) $(BL_LIBS) \
 		$(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o $(OBJS)
-else ifneq ($(findstring gcc,$(notdir $(LD))),)
+else ifeq ($($(ARCH)-ld-id),gnu-gcc)
 	$$(Q)$($(ARCH)-ld) -o $$@ $$(TF_LDFLAGS) $$(LDFLAGS) $(BL_LDFLAGS) -Wl,-Map=$(MAPFILE) \
 		$(addprefix -Wl$(comma)--script$(comma),$(LINKER_SCRIPTS)) -Wl,--script,$(DEFAULT_LINKER_SCRIPT) \
 		$(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o \
diff --git a/make_helpers/march.mk b/make_helpers/march.mk
index 9c42ae6..25bb936 100644
--- a/make_helpers/march.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/march.mk
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
     provided-march = armv${ARM_ARCH_MAJOR}.${ARM_ARCH_MINOR}-a
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(findstring clang,$(notdir $($(ARCH)-cc))),)
+ifeq ($(filter %-clang,$($(ARCH)-cc-id)),)
 
 # We expect from Platform to provide a correct Major/Minor value but expecting something
 # from compiler with unsupported march means we shouldn't fail without trying anything,