diff --git a/libs/axtls/Makefile b/libs/axtls/Makefile
index a3b797e82..c402a122d 100644
--- a/libs/axtls/Makefile
+++ b/libs/axtls/Makefile
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ PKG_SOURCE:=axTLS-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=@SF/axtls
 PKG_MD5SUM:=03471b5a5874e2ce86025f24b3fa0958
 
-TAR_OPTIONS:=--transform='s,axTLS,$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION),' -xvf -
-
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
 
 define Package/libaxtls
@@ -41,6 +39,8 @@ define Build/Configure
 	$(MAKE) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) oldconfig
 endef
 
+TAR_CMD:=$(HOST_TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) --strip-components 1 $(TAR_OPTIONS)
+
 TARGET_CFLAGS += $(FPIC)
 
 define Build/Compile
diff --git a/libs/ezxml/Makefile b/libs/ezxml/Makefile
index 07fb26a86..309519a64 100644
--- a/libs/ezxml/Makefile
+++ b/libs/ezxml/Makefile
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=@SF/ezxml
 PKG_MD5SUM:=e22ae17a0bd82dfa2a66f9876f1a8fd7
 
-TAR_OPTIONS:=--transform='s,$(PKG_NAME),$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION),' -xvf -
-
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
 
 define Package/ezxml/Default
@@ -35,6 +33,8 @@ define Package/libezxml/description
 	ezXML is a fast and lightweight C library for parsing XML documents.
 endef
 
+TAR_CMD:=$(HOST_TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) --strip-components 1 $(TAR_OPTIONS)
+
 TARGET_CFLAGS += $(FPIC) -D_GNU_SOURCE
 
 define Build/InstallDev
diff --git a/net/gesftpserver/Makefile b/net/gesftpserver/Makefile
index b639db2d4..c0a234215 100644
--- a/net/gesftpserver/Makefile
+++ b/net/gesftpserver/Makefile
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ PKG_SOURCE_VERSION:=$(PKG_REV)
 
 PKG_INSTALL:=1
 
-TAR_OPTIONS:=--transform='s,$(PKG_NAME),$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION),' -xvf -
-
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
 
 define Package/gesftpserver
@@ -41,6 +39,8 @@ endef
 
 CONFIGURE_CMD:=./prepare
 
+TAR_CMD:=$(HOST_TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) --strip-components 1 $(TAR_OPTIONS)
+
 TARGET_CFLAGS+= \
 	-I$(STAGING_DIR)/usr/lib/libiconv/include/
 
diff --git a/utils/upx/Makefile b/utils/upx/Makefile
index 08377073d..5437db799 100644
--- a/utils/upx/Makefile
+++ b/utils/upx/Makefile
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION)-src.tar.bz2
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=http://upx.sourceforge.net/download/
 PKG_MD5SUM:=68d662b1f831335460f9bfdbf632c6ce
 
-TAR_OPTIONS+=--transform='s,$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION)-src,$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION),'
-
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
 
 define Package/upx
@@ -39,6 +37,8 @@ MAKE_PATH := src
 MAKE_VARS += \
 	exeext=""
 
+TAR_CMD:=$(HOST_TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) --strip-components 1 $(TAR_OPTIONS)
+
 TARGET_CPPFLAGS += \
 	-DUCL_NO_ASM \