diff --git a/sys/msdos/fetch-cross-compiler.sh b/sys/msdos/fetch-cross-compiler.sh
index 3dedc8847..b849b2953 100755
--- a/sys/msdos/fetch-cross-compiler.sh
+++ b/sys/msdos/fetch-cross-compiler.sh
@@ -135,31 +135,61 @@ if [ ! -d djgpp/djgpp-patch ]; then
     cd ../../
 fi
 
-# get a copy of symify to insert in the final zip package
-# to make bug reports more useful
-# curl --output djdev205.zip http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2/djdev205.zip
-if [ ! -d djgpp/symify ]; then
-    echo "Getting djdev205.zip" ;
+# create a directory hold native DOS executables that might get deployed
+if [ ! -d djgpp/target ]; then
     cd djgpp
-    mkdir -p symify
-    cd symify
-    if [ "$(uname)" = "Darwin" ]; then
-	#Mac
+    mkdir -p target
+    cd ../
+fi
+if [ -d djgpp/target ]; then
+  cd djgpp/target
+# symify to make bug reports more useful
+  if [ ! -f symify.exe ]; then
+    if [ ! -f djdev205.zip ]; then
+      echo "Getting djdev205.zip" ;
+      if [ "$(uname)" = "Darwin" ]; then
+        #Mac
 	curl --output djdev205.zip http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2/djdev205.zip
         export cmdstatus=$?
-    else
+      else
 	wget --quiet --no-hsts http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2/djdev205.zip
         export cmdstatus=$?
+      fi
+      if [ $cmdstatus -eq 0 ]; then
+	echo "fetch of djdev205.zip was successful"
+      fi
     fi
-    ls -l
-    if [ $cmdstatus -eq 0 ]; then
-	echo "fetch of symify was successful"
-	unzip -p djdev205.zip bin/symify.exe >./simify.exe
+    if [ -f djdev205.zip ]; then
+        echo "unzipping djdev205.zip"
+        unzip -p djdev205.zip bin/symify.exe >./symify.exe
     fi
-    cd ../../
+  fi
+# gdb
+  if [ ! -f gdb.exe ]; then
+    if [ ! -f gdb801b.zip ]; then
+      echo "getting gdb801b.zip" ;
+      if [ "$(uname)" = "Darwin" ]; then
+        #Mac
+	curl --output gdb801b.zip http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu/gdb801b.zip
+        export cmdstatus=$?
+      else
+	wget --quiet --no-hsts http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu/gdb801b.zip
+        export cmdstatus=$?
+      fi
+      if [ $cmdstatus -eq 0 ]; then
+	echo "fetch of gdb801b.zip was successful"
+      fi
+    fi
+    if [ -f gdb801b.zip ]; then
+        echo "unzipping gdb801b.zip"
+        unzip -p gdb801b.zip bin/gdb.exe >./gdb.exe
+    fi
+  fi
+  echo "Native DOS executables:"
+  ls -l *.exe
+  cd ../../
 fi
 
-
 FONT_VERSION="4.49"
 FONT_FILE="terminus-font-$FONT_VERSION"
 FONT_LFILE="$FONT_FILE.1"
diff --git a/sys/unix/hints/include/cross-post.370 b/sys/unix/hints/include/cross-post.370
index 70968d145..2f775e90f 100644
--- a/sys/unix/hints/include/cross-post.370
+++ b/sys/unix/hints/include/cross-post.370
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ dospkg: dodata dosfonts $(GAMEBIN) $(TARGETPFX)recover.exe ../dat/nhtiles.bmp
 	cp $(DOSFONT)/ter-u28b.psf $(TARGETPFX)pkg/TER-U28B.PSF
 	cp $(DOSFONT)/ter-u32b.psf $(TARGETPFX)pkg/TER-U32B.PSF
 	cp  ../lib/djgpp/cwsdpmi/bin/CWSDPMI.EXE $(TARGETPFX)pkg/CWSDPMI.EXE
-	( if [ -f ../lib/djgpp/symify/simify.exe ]; then \
-	      cp  ../lib/djgpp/symify/simify.exe $(TARGETPFX)pkg/SYMIFY.EXE; \
+	( if [ -f ../lib/djgpp/target/symify.exe ]; then \
+	      cp  ../lib/djgpp/target/symify.exe $(TARGETPFX)pkg/SYMIFY.EXE; \
           else \
-              pwd; echo "../lib/djgpp/symify/symify.exe not found"; \
+              pwd; echo "../lib/djgpp/target/symify.exe not found"; \
 	  fi; )
 	-touch $(TARGETPFX)pkg/RECORD
 	cd $(TARGETPFX)pkg ; zip -9 ../NH370DOS.ZIP * ; cd ../../..
@@ -82,12 +82,12 @@ dodata:
 ifdef dosbox
 # make CROSS_TO_MSDOS=1 dosbox=~/dosbox deploy-to-dosbox
 ifdef MAKEFILE_TOP
-deploy-to-dosbox:
+deploy-to-dosbox: 
 	( cd src; make $(DEPLOY); cd .. )
 endif
 .PHONY: deploytodosbox
 
-deploytodosbox: ../targets/msdos/NH370DOS.ZIP $(dosboxnhfolder) $(dosboxnhsrc) \
+deploytodosbox: $(TARGETPFX)NH370DOS.ZIP $(dosboxnhfolder) $(dosboxnhsrc) \
 			$(dosboxnhsrc)/src $(dosboxnhsrc)/include \
 			$(dosboxnhsrc)/sys/msdos $(dosboxnhsrc)/sys/share \
 			$(dosboxnhsrc)/win/share $(dosboxnhsrc)/win/curses \
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ deploytodosbox: ../targets/msdos/NH370DOS.ZIP $(dosboxnhfolder) $(dosboxnhsrc) \
 			$(dosboxnhfolder)/NETHACK.EXE \
 			$(dosboxnhfolder)/GDB.EXE $(dosboxnhfolder)/nhgdb.bat
 	@echo DOS NetHack deployed to dosbox at $(dosboxnhfolder)
-
+$(TARGETPFX)NH370DOS.ZIP: dospkg
+#	( cd ..; make CROSS_TO_MSDOS=1 WANT_DEBUG=1 dospkg; cd src)
 $(dosboxnhfolder):
 	mkdir -p $@
 $(dosboxnhsrc): $(dosboxnhfolder)
@@ -131,10 +132,11 @@ $(dosboxnhfolder)/NETHACK.EXE: $(TARGETPFX)NH370DOS.ZIP
 	unzip -o $(TARGETPFX)NH370DOS.ZIP -d $(dosboxnhfolder)
 	find $(dosboxnhfolder) -type f -name "$(dosboxconfigfile)" \
 		| xargs sed -i 's/#OPTIONS=video:autodetect/OPTIONS=video:autodetect/g'
-$(dosboxnhfolder)/GDB.EXE: $(dosboxnhfolder)
-	curl --output gdb801b.zip $(dosgdburl)
-	unzip -p gdb801b.zip bin/gdb.exe >$@
-	rm gdb801b.zip
+$(dosboxnhfolder)/GDB.EXE: $(dosboxnhfolder) $(dostargetexes)/gdb801b.zip
+	cp --preserve=timestamps $(dostargetexes)/gdb.exe $@
+$(dostargetexes)/gdb801b.zip:
+	curl --output $(dostargetexes)/gdb801b.zip $(dosgdburl)
+	unzip -p $(dostargetexes)/gdb801b.zip bin/gdb.exe >$@
 $(dosboxnhfolder)/nhgdb.bat: $(FLDR)src/Makefile
 	echo "gdb -ex 'directory nhsrc/src nhsrc/include nhsrc/sys/msdos nhsrc/sys/share nhsrc/win/share nhsrc/win/curses nhsrc/win/tty nhsrc/util' NETHACK.EXE"> $@
 endif  # dosbox
diff --git a/sys/unix/hints/include/cross-pre2.370 b/sys/unix/hints/include/cross-pre2.370
index 5b80f887a..defe671fa 100644
--- a/sys/unix/hints/include/cross-pre2.370
+++ b/sys/unix/hints/include/cross-pre2.370
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ endif
 ifdef MAKEFILE_TOP
 FLDR=
 endif
+dostargetexes=$(FLDR)lib/djgpp/target
 WANT_DEBUG=1
 DEPLOY=deploytodosbox
 endif  # dosbox