diff --git a/build-clang-with-args.sh b/build-clang-with-args.sh
index e3abfba..8258b99 100755
--- a/build-clang-with-args.sh
+++ b/build-clang-with-args.sh
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ if [ ! -d "$llvm_dir" ]; then
 fi
 cd "${llvm_dir}"
 git fetch origin
-git checkout --force "${LLVM_VERSION}"
+git checkout --force "${LLVM_COMMIT}"
 
 # Clang Symlinks
 clang_links_to_create="clang++"
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ llvm_distribution_components+=";${llvm_tools}"
 
 cmake "${llvm_dir}/llvm" \
   -Wno-dev \
+  -GNinja \
   -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="${build_type}" \
   -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="${dist_dir}" \
   -DLLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD="RISCV" \
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ cmake "${llvm_dir}/llvm" \
   -DLLVM_ENABLE_BACKTRACES=Off \
   -DLLVM_DEFAULT_TARGET_TRIPLE="${toolchain_target}" \
   -DLLVM_STATIC_LINK_CXX_STDLIB=On \
+  -DLLVM_USE_LINKER="lld" \
   -DCLANG_VENDOR="lowRISC" \
   -DBUG_REPORT_URL="toolchains@lowrisc.org" \
   -DLLVM_INCLUDE_EXAMPLES=Off \
@@ -167,7 +169,6 @@ ls -l "${dist_dir}"
 
 # Write out build info
 set +o pipefail # head causes pipe failures, so we have to switch off pipefail while we use it.
-ct_ng_version_string="$( (set +o pipefail; ct-ng version | head -n1) )"
 clang_version_string="$("${dist_dir}/bin/clang" --version | head -n1)"
 build_date="$(date -u)"
 set -o pipefail
@@ -180,11 +181,7 @@ lowRISC toolchain version: ${tag_name}
 
 Clang version:
   ${clang_version_string}
-  (git: ${LLVM_URL} ${LLVM_VERSION})
-
-Crosstool-ng version:
-  ${ct_ng_version_string}
-  (git: ${CROSSTOOL_NG_URL} ${CROSSTOOL_NG_VERSION})
+  (git: ${LLVM_URL} ${LLVM_COMMIT})
 
 C Flags:
   -march=${march} -mabi=${mabi} -mcmodel=${mcmodel}
@@ -199,7 +196,7 @@ tee "${dist_dir}/buildinfo.json" <<BUILDINFO_JSON
   "version": "${tag_name}",
   "clang_version": "${clang_version_string}",
   "clang_url": "${LLVM_URL}",
-  "clang_git": "${LLVM_VERSION}",
+  "clang_git": "${LLVM_COMMIT}",
   "build_date": "${build_date}",
   "build_host": "$(hostname)"
 }
diff --git a/prepare-host.sh b/prepare-host.sh
index 048f365..83fc9d9 100755
--- a/prepare-host.sh
+++ b/prepare-host.sh
@@ -31,4 +31,15 @@ dnf install -y \
   zlib-devel \
   zlib-static \
   libffi-devel \
-  expat-static
+  expat-static \
+  lld
+
+# the version of ninja in almalinux-8 is too old -
+# we need at least version v1.10, so just build it ourselves
+TMP_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+git clone https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja.git \
+    --branch v1.12.0 --depth 1 "${TMP_DIR}"
+cd "${TMP_DIR}"
+./configure.py --bootstrap
+install ninja /bin
+rm -rf "{$TMP_DIR}"
diff --git a/sw-versions.sh b/sw-versions.sh
index ff67711..d5651d4 100644
--- a/sw-versions.sh
+++ b/sw-versions.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 # - single-byte code coverage
 export LLVM_URL=https://github.com/lowRISC/llvm-project.git
 export LLVM_BRANCH=ot-llvm-16-hardening
-export LLVM_VERSION=dec908d48facb6041c12b95b8ade64719a894917
+export LLVM_COMMIT=dec908d48facb6041c12b95b8ade64719a894917
 
 # RISC-V fork of Binutils 2.35 with bitmanip instruction support
 export BINUTILS_URL=https://github.com/riscv-collab/riscv-binutils-gdb.git