diff --git a/auto.def b/auto.def
index 8cde61e038..7d55af78bd 100644
--- a/auto.def
+++ b/auto.def
@@ -11,26 +11,6 @@ if {[get-define host] ne [get-define build]} {
 }
 define cross_compiling ${cross_compiling}
 
-if {$cross_compiling} {
-  # gcc's cross-compiler is named platform-os-vendor-gcc instead of
-  # platform-os-vendor-cc. Checking for cc here will find the CC which
-  # was already found via (use cc).  Checking for gcc here would be
-  # unportable - the client may well have a different cross-compiler.
-  define-push {LD AR} {
-    cc-check-tools ld ar
-    #define BIN_host_GCC [get-define GCC]
-    define BIN_host_LD [get-define LD]
-    define BIN_host_AR [get-define AR]
-  }
-  #define BIN_host_CC [get-define CC]
-}
-#define CC [get-define CC_FOR_BUILD]
-if {![cc-path-progs ld ar]} {
-  # ^^^^ not cc-check-tools because that one resolves cross-compile
-  # binaries when --host=... is set.
-  user-error "Missing required binary"
-}
-
 ########################################################################
 # A very long story made short, autosetup's --flag handling has
 # some behaviors which make it impossible to implement 100% identical
@@ -283,7 +263,6 @@ if {[cc-check-includes zlib.h] && [cc-check-function-in-lib deflate z]} {
   define LDFLAGS_ZLIB ""
 }
 
-hwaci-define-if-opt-truthy with-debug SQLITE_DEBUG "Debug build?"
 hwaci-define-if-opt-truthy amalgamation USE_AMALGAMATION \
   "Use amalgamation for builds?"
 hwaci-define-if-opt-truthy gcov USE_GCOV "Use gcov?"
@@ -291,8 +270,27 @@ hwaci-define-if-opt-truthy test-status TSTRNNR_OPTS \
   "test-runner flags:" {--status} {}
 hwaci-define-if-opt-truthy linemacros AMALGAMATION_LINE_MACROS \
   "Use #line macros in the amalgamation:" {--linemacros=1} {--linemacros=0}
+msg-checking "Debug build? "
+hwaci-if-opt-truthy with-debug {
+  define SQLITE_DEBUG 1
+  define TARGET_DEBUG {-DSQLITE_DEBUG=1 -DSQLITE_ENABLE_SELECTTRACE -DSQLITE_ENABLE_WHERETRACE -O0 -Wall}
+  msg-result yes
+} {
+  define TARGET_DEBUG {-DNDEBUG}
+  msg-result no
+}
 
-if {0} {
+if {1} {
+  # Temporary quick hack for finding "a" tclsh. TODO is port the
+  # full-featured check which lives in the elseif part of this block.
+  #
+  # Also TODO is figure out whether we can use jimtcl for our internal
+  # build-tool uses (as opposed to testing purposes, which requires
+  # the tcl SQLite module).
+  if {![cc-path-progs tclsh]} {
+    user-error "Cannot find tclsh"
+  }
+} elseif {0} {
   #########
   # Figure out all the name of a working tclsh and parameters needed to compile against Tcl.
   # The --with-tcl= and/or --with-tclsh= configuration arguments might be useful for this.
diff --git a/manifest b/manifest
index b0841a42e5..05ab0fd794 100644
--- a/manifest
+++ b/manifest
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-C Time\sfor\sa\sbreak.
-D 2024-09-25T23:09:38.690
+C Remove\sa\smisled\sacrobatics\srelated\sto\scross-compilation,\sbased\son\ssuggestions\sfrom\sSteve\sBennett.\sAdd\sa\squick-n-dirty\splaceholder\scheck\sfor\stclsh\sto\smove\sthat\spart\salong.
+D 2024-09-26T08:25:10.543
 F .fossil-settings/empty-dirs dbb81e8fc0401ac46a1491ab34a7f2c7c0452f2f06b54ebb845d024ca8283ef1
 F .fossil-settings/ignore-glob 35175cdfcf539b2318cb04a9901442804be81cd677d8b889fcc9149c21f239ea
 F LICENSE.md df5091916dbb40e6e9686186587125e1b2ff51f022cc334e886c19a0e9982724
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ F art/icon-80x90.gif 65509ce3e5f86a9cd64fe7fca2d23954199f31fe44c1e09e208c80fb83d
 F art/sqlite370.eps aa97a671332b432a54e1d74ff5e8775be34200c2
 F art/sqlite370.ico af56c1d00fee7cd4753e8631ed60703ed0fc6e90
 F art/sqlite370.jpg d512473dae7e378a67e28ff96a34da7cb331def2
-F auto.def 667c6566a686bab5994d7c52526c33a2ab516199b85766c29e7fc65b128671ea
+F auto.def 7fb946ca447e7139764c8a8c7902f374ea11219fee12dcb236607ada9f49ee2d
 F autoconf/INSTALL 83e4a25da9fd053c7b3665eaaaf7919707915903
 F autoconf/Makefile.am adedc1324b6a87fdd1265ddd336d2fb7d4f36a0e77b86ea553ae7cc4ea239347
 F autoconf/Makefile.fallback 22fe523eb36dfce31e0f6349f782eb084e86a5620b2b0b4f84a2d6133f53f5ac
@@ -2233,8 +2233,8 @@ F vsixtest/vsixtest.tcl 6195aba1f12a5e10efc2b8c0009532167be5e301abe5b31385638080
 F vsixtest/vsixtest.vcxproj.data 2ed517e100c66dc455b492e1a33350c1b20fbcdc
 F vsixtest/vsixtest.vcxproj.filters 37e51ffedcdb064aad6ff33b6148725226cd608e
 F vsixtest/vsixtest_TemporaryKey.pfx e5b1b036facdb453873e7084e1cae9102ccc67a0
-P 456125a14454180d608d8f5bc651aa4350958cdd14f4011ef540beb278ca2d51
-R 2167a1dbbb24f998e809942a74a24831
+P 1d29cd9095595b7b027b90d644dc4767fde0b6f98316c0eb82014b7aad6770d7
+R 69eca432a82c8eab4ae5d756a58d2b01
 U stephan
-Z 5237a006f29465dc76d28d429ddf3ad3
+Z 44573c215dc1833642057c91ccefe177
 # Remove this line to create a well-formed Fossil manifest.
diff --git a/manifest.uuid b/manifest.uuid
index 1c0777dc76..28cf2f0143 100644
--- a/manifest.uuid
+++ b/manifest.uuid
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1d29cd9095595b7b027b90d644dc4767fde0b6f98316c0eb82014b7aad6770d7
+c419168938b009b2cf8a42a01272971497b5329792ccb8cef235f47ab5f142e2