diff --git a/mlir/tools/mlir-linalg-ods-gen/CMakeLists.txt b/mlir/tools/mlir-linalg-ods-gen/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/mlir/tools/mlir-linalg-ods-gen/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/mlir/tools/mlir-linalg-ods-gen/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,17 +11,22 @@
   MLIRIR
   )
 
-set(MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE mlir-linalg-ods-gen PARENT_SCOPE)
+set(MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN mlir-linalg-ods-gen CACHE
+    STRING "Native mlir-linalg-ods-gen executable. Saves building one when cross-compiling.")
+
+set(MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE ${MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN} PARENT_SCOPE)
 set(MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_TARGET mlir-linalg-ods-gen PARENT_SCOPE)
 
 if(LLVM_USE_HOST_TOOLS)
-  build_native_tool(mlir-linalg-ods-gen MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE DEPENDS mlir-linalg-ods-gen)
-  set(MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE ${MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE} PARENT_SCOPE)
+  if (${MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE} STREQUAL mlir-linalg-ods-gen)
+    build_native_tool(mlir-linalg-ods-gen MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE DEPENDS mlir-linalg-ods-gen)
+    set(MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE ${MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE} PARENT_SCOPE)
 
-  add_custom_target(mlir-linalg-ods-gen-host DEPENDS ${MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE})
-  set(MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_TARGET mlir-linalg-ods-gen-host DEPENDS PARENT_SCOPE)
+    add_custom_target(mlir-linalg-ods-gen-host DEPENDS ${MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_EXE})
+    set(MLIR_LINALG_ODS_GEN_TARGET mlir-linalg-ods-gen-host DEPENDS PARENT_SCOPE)
 
-  if(NOT LLVM_BUILD_UTILS)
-    set_target_properties(mlir-linalg-ods-gen PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL ON)
+    if(NOT LLVM_BUILD_UTILS)
+      set_target_properties(mlir-linalg-ods-gen PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL ON)
+    endif()
   endif()
 endif()