diff --git a/mk/stage0.mk b/mk/stage0.mk
index 0adb220544f1..ec83f163b2b1 100644
--- a/mk/stage0.mk
+++ b/mk/stage0.mk
@@ -1,18 +1,21 @@
+# FIXME: temporary hack: stdlib comes in the lib/ directory, but we want it in
+# the base directory, so we move it out.
 stage0/rustc$(X): $(S)src/snapshots.txt $(S)src/etc/get-snapshot.py $(MKFILES)
 	@$(call E, fetch: $@)
 	$(Q)$(S)src/etc/get-snapshot.py
+	$(Q)mv stage0/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB) stage0/$(CFG_STDLIB)
 	$(Q)touch $@
 
 # Host libs will be made in the process of making rustc above.
 
-# FIXME: temporary hack: the first two are currently carried in
-# lib/ directory only, so we copy them out.
+# FIXME: temporary hack: the runtime is currently carried in
+# lib/ directory only, so we copy it out.
 
 stage0/$(CFG_RUNTIME): stage0/lib/$(CFG_RUNTIME)
 	$(Q)cp $< $@
 
-stage0/$(CFG_STDLIB): stage0/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB)
-	$(Q)cp $< $@
+stage0/$(CFG_STDLIB): stage0/rustc$(X)
+	$(Q)touch $@
 
 stage0/$(CFG_RUSTLLVM): stage0/rustc$(X)
 	$(Q)touch $@
@@ -28,11 +31,10 @@ stage0/lib/glue.o: stage0/rustc$(X)
 stage0/lib/main.o: rt/main.o
 	$(Q)cp $< $@
 
+
 stage0/lib/$(CFG_RUNTIME): stage0/rustc$(X)
 	$(Q)touch $@
 
-stage0/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB): stage0/rustc$(X)
-	$(Q)touch $@
+# stage0/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB) and stage0/lib/libstd.rlib rules are generated
+# in stageN.mk
 
-stage0/lib/libstd.rlib: stage0/rustc$(X)
-	$(Q)touch $@
diff --git a/mk/stageN.mk b/mk/stageN.mk
index f1daa48df8fd..73eae557803a 100644
--- a/mk/stageN.mk
+++ b/mk/stageN.mk
@@ -2,6 +2,29 @@
 #
 # The easiest way to read this template is to assume we're building stage2
 # using stage1, and mentally gloss $(1) as 1, $(2) as 2.
+#
+# STDLIBGEN is pulled out seperately because we need to specially invoke
+# it to build stage0/lib/libstd using stage0/rustc.
+
+define STDLIBGEN
+stage$(2)/lib/$$(CFG_STDLIB): $$(STDLIB_CRATE) $$(STDLIB_INPUTS) \
+                              stage$(2)/rustc$$(X)               \
+                              stage$(2)/$$(CFG_RUNTIME)          \
+                              stage$(2)/$$(CFG_RUSTLLVM)         \
+                              stage$(2)/lib/glue.o               \
+                              $$(SREQ$(1))
+	@$$(call E, compile_and_link: $$@)
+	$$(STAGE$(2))  --lib -o $$@ $$<
+
+stage$(2)/lib/libstd.rlib: $$(STDLIB_CRATE) $$(STDLIB_INPUTS) \
+                           stage$(2)/rustc$$(X)               \
+                           stage$(2)/$$(CFG_RUNTIME)          \
+                           stage$(2)/$$(CFG_RUSTLLVM)         \
+                           stage$(2)/lib/glue.o               \
+                           $$(SREQ$(1))
+	@$$(call E, compile_and_link: $$@)
+	$$(STAGE$(2)) --lib --static -o $$@ $$<
+endef
 
 define STAGEN
 
@@ -56,24 +79,7 @@ stage$(2)/lib/glue.o: stage$(2)/rustc$$(X)        \
 	@$$(call E, generate: $$@)
 	$$(STAGE$(2)) -c -o $$@ --glue
 
-stage$(2)/lib/$$(CFG_STDLIB): $$(STDLIB_CRATE) $$(STDLIB_INPUTS) \
-                              stage$(2)/rustc$$(X)               \
-                              stage$(2)/$$(CFG_RUNTIME)          \
-                              stage$(2)/$$(CFG_RUSTLLVM)         \
-                              stage$(2)/lib/glue.o               \
-                              $$(SREQ$(1))
-	@$$(call E, compile_and_link: $$@)
-	$$(STAGE$(2))  --lib -o $$@ $$<
-
-stage$(2)/lib/libstd.rlib: $$(STDLIB_CRATE) $$(STDLIB_INPUTS) \
-                           stage$(2)/rustc$$(X)               \
-                           stage$(2)/$$(CFG_RUNTIME)          \
-                           stage$(2)/$$(CFG_RUSTLLVM)         \
-                           stage$(2)/lib/glue.o               \
-                           $$(SREQ$(1))
-	@$$(call E, compile_and_link: $$@)
-	$$(STAGE$(2)) --lib --static -o $$@ $$<
-
+$(eval $(call STDLIBGEN,$(1),$(2)))
 
 stage$(2)/lib/main.o: rt/main.o
 	@$$(call E, cp: $$@)
@@ -90,6 +96,10 @@ stage$(2)/lib/$$(CFG_LIBRUSTC): $$(COMPILER_CRATE) $$(COMPILER_INPUTS) \
 
 endef
 
+# Instantiate template for building initial stdlib
+SREQpre = stage0/lib/main.o $(MKFILES)
+$(eval $(call STDLIBGEN,pre,0))
+
 # Instantiate template for 0->1, 1->2, 2->3 build dirs
 
 $(eval $(call STAGEN,0,1))
diff --git a/src/etc/snapshot.py b/src/etc/snapshot.py
index 393af1d3d1cb..54d25b7f9aba 100644
--- a/src/etc/snapshot.py
+++ b/src/etc/snapshot.py
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ download_dir_base = "dl"
 download_unpack_base = os.path.join(download_dir_base, "unpack")
 
 snapshot_files = {
-    "linux": ["rustc", "lib/glue.o", "lib/libstd.so", "lib/libstd.rlib",
+    "linux": ["rustc", "lib/glue.o", "lib/libstd.so",
               "lib/librustrt.so", "librustllvm.so", "lib/intrinsics.bc"],
-    "macos": ["rustc", "lib/glue.o", "lib/libstd.dylib", "lib/libstd.rlib",
+    "macos": ["rustc", "lib/glue.o", "lib/libstd.dylib",
               "lib/librustrt.dylib", "librustllvm.dylib", "lib/intrinsics.bc"],
-    "winnt": ["rustc.exe", "lib/glue.o", "lib/std.dll", "lib/libstd.rlib",
+    "winnt": ["rustc.exe", "lib/glue.o", "lib/std.dll",
               "lib/rustrt.dll", "rustllvm.dll", "lib/intrinsics.bc"]
     }