diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index 832f969..2c09910 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -594,25 +594,6 @@
 endef
 
 ###########################################################
-## Convert "path/to/libXXX.so" to "-lXXX".
-## Any "path/to/libXXX.a" elements pass through unchanged.
-###########################################################
-
-define normalize-libraries
-$(foreach so,$(filter %.so,$(1)),-l$(patsubst lib%.so,%,$(notdir $(so))))\
-$(filter-out %.so,$(1))
-endef
-
-# TODO: change users to call the common version.
-define normalize-host-libraries
-$(call normalize-libraries,$(1))
-endef
-
-define normalize-target-libraries
-$(call normalize-libraries,$(1))
-endef
-
-###########################################################
 ## Convert a list of short module names (e.g., "framework", "Browser")
 ## into the list of files that are built for those modules.
 ## NOTE: this won't return reliable results until after all
@@ -1674,9 +1655,9 @@
 	-Wl,--gc-sections \
 	$(PRIVATE_ALL_OBJECTS) \
 	-Wl,--whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	$(PRIVATE_LDFLAGS) \
 	-o $@
 endef
@@ -1693,9 +1674,9 @@
 	-Wl,--gc-sections \
 	$(PRIVATE_ALL_OBJECTS) \
 	-Wl,--whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	$(PRIVATE_LDFLAGS) \
 	-Wl,-Map=$(@).map \
 	-o $@
@@ -1788,21 +1769,20 @@
 	-Wl,-rpath,\$$ORIGIN/../$(notdir $($(PRIVATE_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)$(PRIVATE_PREFIX)OUT_SHARED_LIBRARIES)) \
 	-Wl,-rpath,\$$ORIGIN/$(notdir $($(PRIVATE_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)$(PRIVATE_PREFIX)OUT_SHARED_LIBRARIES)) \
 	-shared -Wl,-soname,$(notdir $@) \
-	$($(PRIVATE_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)$(PRIVATE_PREFIX)GLOBAL_LD_DIRS) \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_NO_DEFAULT_COMPILER_FLAGS),, \
 	   $(PRIVATE_HOST_GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) \
 	) \
 	$(PRIVATE_LDFLAGS) \
 	$(PRIVATE_ALL_OBJECTS) \
 	-Wl,--whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-host-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_GROUP_STATIC_LIBRARIES),-Wl$(comma)--start-group) \
-	$(call normalize-host-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_GROUP_STATIC_LIBRARIES),-Wl$(comma)--end-group) \
 	$(if $(filter true,$(NATIVE_COVERAGE)),-lgcov) \
 	$(if $(filter true,$(NATIVE_COVERAGE)),$(PRIVATE_HOST_LIBPROFILE_RT)) \
-	$(call normalize-host-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_SHARED_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_SHARED_LIBRARIES) \
 	-o $@ \
 	$(PRIVATE_LDLIBS)
 endef
@@ -1834,10 +1814,10 @@
 	$(PRIVATE_TARGET_CRTBEGIN_SO_O) \
 	$(PRIVATE_ALL_OBJECTS) \
 	-Wl,--whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_GROUP_STATIC_LIBRARIES),-Wl$(comma)--start-group) \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_GROUP_STATIC_LIBRARIES),-Wl$(comma)--end-group) \
 	$(if $(filter true,$(NATIVE_COVERAGE)),$(PRIVATE_TARGET_COVERAGE_LIB)) \
 	$(PRIVATE_TARGET_LIBATOMIC) \
@@ -1922,10 +1902,10 @@
 	$(PRIVATE_TARGET_CRTBEGIN_DYNAMIC_O) \
 	$(PRIVATE_ALL_OBJECTS) \
 	-Wl,--whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_GROUP_STATIC_LIBRARIES),-Wl$(comma)--start-group) \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_GROUP_STATIC_LIBRARIES),-Wl$(comma)--end-group) \
 	$(if $(filter true,$(NATIVE_COVERAGE)),$(PRIVATE_TARGET_COVERAGE_LIB)) \
 	$(PRIVATE_TARGET_LIBATOMIC) \
@@ -1967,15 +1947,15 @@
 	$(PRIVATE_LDFLAGS) \
 	$(PRIVATE_ALL_OBJECTS) \
 	-Wl,--whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(filter-out %libcompiler_rt.a,$(filter-out %libc_nomalloc.a,$(filter-out %libc.a,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES))))) \
+	$(filter-out %libcompiler_rt.a,$(filter-out %libc_nomalloc.a,$(filter-out %libc.a,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)))) \
 	-Wl,--start-group \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(filter %libc.a,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES))) \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(filter %libc_nomalloc.a,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES))) \
+	$(filter %libc.a,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(filter %libc_nomalloc.a,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
 	$(if $(filter true,$(NATIVE_COVERAGE)),$(PRIVATE_TARGET_COVERAGE_LIB)) \
 	$(PRIVATE_TARGET_LIBATOMIC) \
-	$(call normalize-target-libraries,$(filter %libcompiler_rt.a,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES))) \
+	$(filter %libcompiler_rt.a,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
 	$(PRIVATE_TARGET_LIBGCC) \
 	-Wl,--end-group \
 	$(PRIVATE_TARGET_CRTEND_O)
@@ -2006,18 +1986,17 @@
 $(hide) $(PRIVATE_CXX) \
 	$(PRIVATE_ALL_OBJECTS) \
 	-Wl,--whole-archive \
-	$(call normalize-host-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_WHOLE_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	-Wl,--no-whole-archive \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_GROUP_STATIC_LIBRARIES),-Wl$(comma)--start-group) \
-	$(call normalize-host-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_STATIC_LIBRARIES) \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_GROUP_STATIC_LIBRARIES),-Wl$(comma)--end-group) \
 	$(if $(filter true,$(NATIVE_COVERAGE)),-lgcov) \
 	$(if $(filter true,$(NATIVE_COVERAGE)),$(PRIVATE_HOST_LIBPROFILE_RT)) \
-	$(call normalize-host-libraries,$(PRIVATE_ALL_SHARED_LIBRARIES)) \
+	$(PRIVATE_ALL_SHARED_LIBRARIES) \
 	-Wl,-rpath-link=$($(PRIVATE_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)$(PRIVATE_PREFIX)OUT_INTERMEDIATE_LIBRARIES) \
 	$(foreach path,$(PRIVATE_RPATHS), \
 	  -Wl,-rpath,\$$ORIGIN/$(path)) \
-	$($(PRIVATE_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)$(PRIVATE_PREFIX)GLOBAL_LD_DIRS) \
 	$(if $(PRIVATE_NO_DEFAULT_COMPILER_FLAGS),, \
 		$(PRIVATE_HOST_GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) \
 	) \