diff --git a/Lib/sysconfig/__init__.py b/Lib/sysconfig/__init__.py
index 07ab27c7fb0c35b..3875c74fd4b90b6 100644
--- a/Lib/sysconfig/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/sysconfig/__init__.py
@@ -337,7 +337,18 @@ def _init_posix(vars):
     """Initialize the module as appropriate for POSIX systems."""
     # _sysconfigdata is generated at build time, see _generate_posix_vars()
     name = _get_sysconfigdata_name()
-    _temp = __import__(name, globals(), locals(), ['build_time_vars'], 0)
+
+    # For cross builds, this value will be specified so sysconfigdata for the
+    # target can be imported. It cannot be in PYTHONPATH, as foreign modules in
+    # sys.path can cause crashes when loaded by the host interpreter.
+    if (path := os.environ.get('_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH')) is not None:
+        from importlib.machinery import FileFinder, SourceFileLoader, SOURCE_SUFFIXES
+        from importlib.util import module_from_spec
+        spec = FileFinder(path, (SourceFileLoader, SOURCE_SUFFIXES)).find_spec(name)
+        _temp = module_from_spec(spec)
+        spec.loader.exec_module(_temp)
+    else:
+        _temp = __import__(name, globals(), locals(), ['build_time_vars'], 0)
     build_time_vars = _temp.build_time_vars
     vars.update(build_time_vars)
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/libregrtest/main.py b/Lib/test/libregrtest/main.py
index 6fbe3d00981ddd2..dbbd961f6429a4d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/libregrtest/main.py
+++ b/Lib/test/libregrtest/main.py
@@ -584,6 +584,7 @@ def _add_cross_compile_opts(self, regrtest_opts):
                 '_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE',
                 '_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM',
                 '_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME',
+                "_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH",
                 'PYTHONPATH'
             }
             old_environ = os.environ
diff --git a/Lib/test/pythoninfo.py b/Lib/test/pythoninfo.py
index 814358746d6d8a4..5f98f495cb1ab77 100644
--- a/Lib/test/pythoninfo.py
+++ b/Lib/test/pythoninfo.py
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ def format_groups(groups):
         "_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM",
         "_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE",
         "_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME",
+        "_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH",
         "__PYVENV_LAUNCHER__",
 
         # Sanitizer options
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c0614138ead4b7a..f8f24af99f19e31 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3689,7 +3689,7 @@ fi
     fi
         ac_cv_prog_PYTHON_FOR_REGEN=$with_build_python
     PYTHON_FOR_FREEZE="$with_build_python"
-    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`:)$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) '$with_build_python
+    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`) '$with_build_python
     { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $with_build_python" >&5
 printf "%s\n" "$with_build_python" >&6; }
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e40b8e0d0de9fc9..3e25c0e37760b2d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([build-python],
     dnl Build Python interpreter is used for regeneration and freezing.
     ac_cv_prog_PYTHON_FOR_REGEN=$with_build_python
     PYTHON_FOR_FREEZE="$with_build_python"
-    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`:)$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) '$with_build_python
+    PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_PATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`) '$with_build_python
     AC_MSG_RESULT([$with_build_python])
   ], [
     AS_VAR_IF([cross_compiling], [yes],