diff --git a/src/indexer/CMakeLists.txt b/src/indexer/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/indexer/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/indexer/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,30 @@
+# when cross compiling, use either the executable offered or try to cross-compile it in place
+
 if(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING AND KATEHIGHLIGHTINGINDEXER_EXECUTABLE)
-    # cross build, we need the indexer supplied externally
     add_executable(katehighlightingindexer IMPORTED GLOBAL)
     set_target_properties(katehighlightingindexer PROPERTIES IMPORTED_LOCATION ${KATEHIGHLIGHTINGINDEXER_EXECUTABLE})
+elseif(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
+    if (NOT KF5_HOST_TOOLING)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Please provide a prefix with a native Qt build and pass -DKF5_HOST_TOOLING=path")
+    endif()
+
+    # search native tooling prefix
+    string(FIND ${KF5_HOST_TOOLING} /lib idx)
+    string(SUBSTRING ${KF5_HOST_TOOLING} 0 ${idx} NATIVE_PREFIX)
+    message(STATUS "Building katehighlightingindexer against ${NATIVE_PREFIX}")
+
+    include(ExternalProject)
+    ExternalProject_Add(native_katehighlightingindexer
+                        SOURCE_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+                        CMAKE_ARGS -DKSYNTAXHIGHLIGHTING_USE_GUI=OFF
+                            -DECM_DIR=${ECM_DIR} -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${NATIVE_PREFIX}
+                            -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
+                        INSTALL_COMMAND ""
+                    )
+    add_executable(katehighlightingindexer IMPORTED GLOBAL)
+    add_dependencies(katehighlightingindexer native_katehighlightingindexer)
+    set_target_properties(katehighlightingindexer PROPERTIES IMPORTED_LOCATION
+        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/native_katehighlightingindexer-prefix/src/native_katehighlightingindexer-build/bin/katehighlightingindexer)
 else()
     # host build
     add_executable(katehighlightingindexer katehighlightingindexer.cpp)