diff --git a/srcpkgs/slrn/template b/srcpkgs/slrn/template
index 85765f5e837..3a84fee8c93 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/slrn/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/slrn/template
@@ -1,23 +1,28 @@
 # Template file for 'slrn'
 pkgname=slrn
 version=1.0.3a
-revision=9
+revision=10
 wrksrc="${pkgname}-${version%a}"
 build_style=gnu-configure
 configure_args="--with-slrnpull --with-ssl
  --with-slanginc=${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/usr/include
  --with-slanglib=${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/usr/lib
  slrn_cv_va_copy=yes slrn_cv___va_copy=yes slrn_cv_va_val_copy=yes"
+hostmakedepends="slang-devel"
 makedepends="openssl-devel slang-devel"
 short_desc="Text mode Usenet news reader"
 maintainer="Leah Neukirchen <leah@vuxu.org>"
 license="GPL-2.0-or-later"
-homepage="http://www.slrn.org/"
+homepage="https://slrn.info/"
 # distfiles="http://jedsoft.org/releases/slrn/${pkgname}-${version}.tar.bz2"
 distfiles="https://ftp.icm.edu.pl/packages/slrn/slrn-${version}.tar.bz2"
 checksum=3ba8a4d549201640f2b82d53fb1bec1250f908052a7983f0061c983c634c2dac
-nocross=yes  # need to host-compile chkslang
 
+pre_build() {
+	mkdir -p src/objs
+	make CC="$BUILD_CC" CFLAGS="$BUILD_CFLAGS" LIBS= LDFLAGS= RPATH= INCS= \
+		-C src slangversion
+}
 post_install() {
 	vsconf doc/slrn.rc
 }