diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a46b32a3..8184be0b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ PKGS       := $(call set_create,\
 BUILD      := $(shell '$(EXT_DIR)/config.guess')
 PATH       := $(PREFIX)/$(BUILD)/bin:$(PREFIX)/bin:$(PATH)
 
+# set to empty or $(false) to disable stripping
+STRIP_TOOLCHAIN := $(true)
+STRIP_LIB       := $(false)
+STRIP_EXE       := $(true)
+
 # All pkgs have (implied) order-only dependencies on MXE_CONF_PKGS.
 # These aren't meaningful to the pkg list in docs/index.html so
 # use a list in case we want to separate autotools, cmake etc.
@@ -549,6 +554,8 @@ build-only-$(1)_$(3): LIB_SUFFIX = $(if $(findstring shared,$(3)),dll,a)
 build-only-$(1)_$(3): BITS = $(if $(findstring x86_64,$(3)),64,32)
 build-only-$(1)_$(3): BUILD_TYPE = $(if $(findstring debug,$(3) $($(1)_CONFIGURE_OPTS)),debug,release)
 build-only-$(1)_$(3): BUILD_TYPE_SUFFIX = $(if $(findstring debug,$(3) $($(1)_CONFIGURE_OPTS)),d)
+build-only-$(1)_$(3): INSTALL_STRIP_TOOLCHAIN = install$(if $(STRIP_TOOLCHAIN),-strip)
+build-only-$(1)_$(3): INSTALL_STRIP_LIB = install$(if $(STRIP_LIB),-strip)
 build-only-$(1)_$(3): SOURCE_DIR = $(or $(realpath $($(1)_SOURCE_TREE)),$(2)/$($(1)_SUBDIR))
 build-only-$(1)_$(3): BUILD_DIR  = $(2)/$(if $($(1)_SOURCE_TREE),local,$($(1)_SUBDIR)).build_
 build-only-$(1)_$(3): TEST_FILE  = $($(1)_TEST_FILE)
@@ -586,6 +593,7 @@ build-only-$(1)_$(3):
 	    @echo
 	    @echo 'settings.mk'
 	    @cat '$(TOP_DIR)/settings.mk'
+	    $(if $(STRIP_EXE),-$(TARGET)-strip '$(PREFIX)/$(TARGET)/bin/test-$(PKG).exe')
 	    (du -k -d 0 '$(2)' 2>/dev/null || du -k --max-depth 0 '$(2)') | $(SED) -n 's/^\(\S*\).*/du: \1 KiB/p'
 	    rm -rfv  '$(2)'
 	    )
diff --git a/plugins/examples/host-toolchain/binutils-host.mk b/plugins/examples/host-toolchain/binutils-host.mk
index 5729e415..67aedb41 100644
--- a/plugins/examples/host-toolchain/binutils-host.mk
+++ b/plugins/examples/host-toolchain/binutils-host.mk
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ define $(PKG)_BUILD
             --prefix='$(PREFIX)/$(TARGET)' \
             --program-prefix='$(TARGET)-' \
             --host='$(TARGET)',\
-    $(subst install, install-strip,\
-    $(binutils_BUILD)))
+    $(binutils_BUILD))
 
     # install unprefixed versions also
     for p in $($(PKG)_PROGS); do \
diff --git a/plugins/examples/host-toolchain/gcc-host.mk b/plugins/examples/host-toolchain/gcc-host.mk
index db3d266d..8dd35daa 100644
--- a/plugins/examples/host-toolchain/gcc-host.mk
+++ b/plugins/examples/host-toolchain/gcc-host.mk
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ define $(PKG)_BUILD
         $($(PKG)_CONFIGURE_OPTS)
 
     $(MAKE) -C '$(BUILD_DIR)' -j '$(JOBS)'
-    $(MAKE) -C '$(BUILD_DIR)' -j 1 install-strip
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(BUILD_DIR)' -j 1 $(INSTALL_STRIP_TOOLCHAIN)
 
     # shared libgcc isn't installed to version-specific locations
     # so install correctly to simplify cleanup (see gcc.mk)
diff --git a/src/binutils.mk b/src/binutils.mk
index 768a8520..b049bc0f 100644
--- a/src/binutils.mk
+++ b/src/binutils.mk
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ define $(PKG)_BUILD
         --disable-shared \
         --disable-werror
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)' -j '$(JOBS)'
-    $(MAKE) -C '$(1)' -j 1 install
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(1)' -j 1 $(INSTALL_STRIP_TOOLCHAIN)
 
     rm -f $(addprefix $(PREFIX)/$(TARGET)/bin/, ar as dlltool ld ld.bfd nm objcopy objdump ranlib strip)
 endef
diff --git a/src/gcc.mk b/src/gcc.mk
index 038d7283..3c4d786d 100644
--- a/src/gcc.mk
+++ b/src/gcc.mk
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ define $(PKG)_BUILD_mingw-w64
     # build standalone gcc
     $($(PKG)_CONFIGURE)
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1).build' -j '$(JOBS)' all-gcc
-    $(MAKE) -C '$(1).build' -j 1 install-gcc
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(1).build' -j 1 $(INSTALL_STRIP_TOOLCHAIN)-gcc
 
     # build mingw-w64-crt
     mkdir '$(1).crt-build'
@@ -91,19 +91,19 @@ define $(PKG)_BUILD_mingw-w64
         --prefix='$(PREFIX)/$(TARGET)' \
         @gcc-crt-config-opts@
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1).crt-build' -j '$(JOBS)' || $(MAKE) -C '$(1).crt-build' -j '$(JOBS)'
-    $(MAKE) -C '$(1).crt-build' -j 1 install
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(1).crt-build' -j 1 $(INSTALL_STRIP_TOOLCHAIN)
 
     # build posix threads
     mkdir '$(1).pthread-build'
     cd '$(1).pthread-build' && '$(1)/$(mingw-w64_SUBDIR)/mingw-w64-libraries/winpthreads/configure' \
         $(MXE_CONFIGURE_OPTS)
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1).pthread-build' -j '$(JOBS)' || $(MAKE) -C '$(1).pthread-build' -j '$(JOBS)'
-    $(MAKE) -C '$(1).pthread-build' -j 1 install
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(1).pthread-build' -j 1 $(INSTALL_STRIP_TOOLCHAIN)
 
     # build rest of gcc
     cd '$(1).build'
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1).build' -j '$(JOBS)'
-    $(MAKE) -C '$(1).build' -j 1 install
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(1).build' -j 1 $(INSTALL_STRIP_TOOLCHAIN)
 
     # shared libgcc isn't installed to version-specific locations
     # so install correctly to simplify cleanup
diff --git a/src/gdal.mk b/src/gdal.mk
index 3e9f07a1..fb48e01a 100644
--- a/src/gdal.mk
+++ b/src/gdal.mk
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ define $(PKG)_BUILD
         LIBS="-ljpeg -lsecur32 -lportablexdr `'$(TARGET)-pkg-config' --libs openssl libtiff-4`"
 
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)'       -j '$(JOBS)' lib-target
+    # gdal doesn't have an install-strip target
+    # --strip-debug doesn't reduce size by much, --strip-all breaks libs
+    $(if $(STRIP_LIB),-'$(TARGET)-strip' --strip-debug '$(1)/.libs'/*)
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)'       -j '$(JOBS)' gdal.pc
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)'       -j '$(JOBS)' install-actions
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)/port'  -j '$(JOBS)' install
@@ -85,6 +88,8 @@ define $(PKG)_BUILD
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)/frmts' -j '$(JOBS)' install
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)/alg'   -j '$(JOBS)' install
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)/ogr'   -j '$(JOBS)' install OGR_ENABLED=
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(1)/apps'  -j '$(JOBS)' all
+    $(if $(STRIP_EXE),-'$(TARGET)-strip' '$(1)/apps'/*.exe)
     $(MAKE) -C '$(1)/apps'  -j '$(JOBS)' install
     ln -sf '$(PREFIX)/$(TARGET)/bin/gdal-config' '$(PREFIX)/bin/$(TARGET)-gdal-config'
 endef
diff --git a/src/geos.mk b/src/geos.mk
index 8d9a2985..b791bc30 100644
--- a/src/geos.mk
+++ b/src/geos.mk
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ endef
 define $(PKG)_BUILD
     cd '$(1)' && ./configure \
         $(MXE_CONFIGURE_OPTS)
-    $(MAKE) -C '$(1)' -j '$(JOBS)' install bin_PROGRAMS= sbin_PROGRAMS= noinst_PROGRAMS=
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(1)' -j '$(JOBS)' $(MXE_DISABLE_PROGRAMS)
+    $(MAKE) -C '$(1)' -j 1 $(INSTALL_STRIP_LIB)
 
     ln -sf '$(PREFIX)/$(TARGET)/bin/geos-config' '$(PREFIX)/bin/$(TARGET)-geos-config'