diff --git a/benchmarks/Makefile b/benchmarks/Makefile
index fde4f2316..620217d33 100644
--- a/benchmarks/Makefile
+++ b/benchmarks/Makefile
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ bmarks = \
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 RISCV_PREFIX ?= riscv$(XLEN)-unknown-elf-
-RISCV_GCC ?= $(RISCV_PREFIX)gcc
-RISCV_GCC_OPTS ?= -DPREALLOCATE=1 -mcmodel=medany -static -std=gnu99 -O2 -ffast-math -fno-common -fno-builtin-printf -fno-tree-loop-distribute-patterns -march=rv$(XLEN)gcv -mabi=lp64d
-RISCV_LINK ?= $(RISCV_GCC) -T $(src_dir)/common/test.ld $(incs)
+RISCV_CC ?= $(RISCV_PREFIX)gcc
+RISCV_CC_OPTS ?= -DPREALLOCATE=1 -mcmodel=medany -static -std=gnu99 -O2 -ffast-math -fno-common -fno-builtin-printf -fno-tree-loop-distribute-patterns -march=rv$(XLEN)gcv -mabi=lp64d
+RISCV_LINK ?= $(RISCV_CC) -T $(src_dir)/common/test.ld $(incs)
 RISCV_LINK_OPTS ?= -static -nostdlib -nostartfiles -lm -lgcc -T $(src_dir)/common/test.ld
 RISCV_OBJDUMP ?= $(RISCV_PREFIX)objdump --disassemble-all --disassemble-zeroes --section=.text --section=.text.startup --section=.text.init --section=.data
 RISCV_SIM ?= spike --isa=rv$(XLEN)gcv
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ objs  :=
 
 define compile_template
 $(1).riscv: $(wildcard $(src_dir)/$(1)/*) $(wildcard $(src_dir)/common/*)
-	$$(RISCV_GCC) $$(incs) $$(RISCV_GCC_OPTS) -o $$@ $(wildcard $(src_dir)/$(1)/*.c) $(wildcard $(src_dir)/$(1)/*.S) $(wildcard $(src_dir)/common/*.c) $(wildcard $(src_dir)/common/*.S) $$(RISCV_LINK_OPTS)
+	$$(RISCV_CC) $$(incs) $$(RISCV_CC_OPTS) -o $$@ $(wildcard $(src_dir)/$(1)/*.c) $(wildcard $(src_dir)/$(1)/*.S) $(wildcard $(src_dir)/common/*.c) $(wildcard $(src_dir)/common/*.S) $$(RISCV_LINK_OPTS)
 endef
 
 $(foreach bmark,$(bmarks),$(eval $(call compile_template,$(bmark))))
diff --git a/benchmarks/common/syscalls.c b/benchmarks/common/syscalls.c
index 7a7b7fdf5..11d4e3698 100644
--- a/benchmarks/common/syscalls.c
+++ b/benchmarks/common/syscalls.c
@@ -93,9 +93,11 @@ int __attribute__((weak)) main(int argc, char** argv)
   return -1;
 }
 
+// Must be global for compatibility with Clang
+register void* thread_pointer asm("tp");
+
 static void init_tls()
 {
-  register void* thread_pointer asm("tp");
   extern char _tdata_begin, _tdata_end, _tbss_end;
   size_t tdata_size = &_tdata_end - &_tdata_begin;
   memcpy(thread_pointer, &_tdata_begin, tdata_size);
@@ -356,19 +358,19 @@ int printf(const char* fmt, ...)
   return 0; // incorrect return value, but who cares, anyway?
 }
 
+static void sprintf_putch(int ch, void** data)
+{
+  char** pstr = (char**)data;
+  **pstr = ch;
+  (*pstr)++;
+}
+
 int sprintf(char* str, const char* fmt, ...)
 {
   va_list ap;
   char* str0 = str;
   va_start(ap, fmt);
 
-  void sprintf_putch(int ch, void** data)
-  {
-    char** pstr = (char**)data;
-    **pstr = ch;
-    (*pstr)++;
-  }
-
   vprintfmt(sprintf_putch, (void**)&str, fmt, ap);
   *str = 0;