diff --git a/build-support/docker/centos6/Dockerfile b/build-support/docker/centos6/Dockerfile
index a733da334f9..632843ea411 100644
--- a/build-support/docker/centos6/Dockerfile
+++ b/build-support/docker/centos6/Dockerfile
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ RUN yum install -y \
   libffi \
   libffi-devel \
   openssl-devel
+# LLVM release tarballs are xz-compressed.
+RUN yum install -y xz
+# GCC requires these to compile.
+RUN yum install -y \
+  m4 \
+  wget
 
 # By default, execute in an environment with python27 enabled.
 ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/scl", "enable", "python27", "devtoolset-7",  "--"]
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/BUILD b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/BUILD
index 8db0b45aa03..e6f09bd301f 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/BUILD
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/BUILD
@@ -4,5 +4,9 @@
 python_library(
   dependencies=[
     'src/python/pants/binaries:binary_util',
+    'src/python/pants/binaries:execution_environment_mixin',
+    'src/python/pants/subsystem',
+    'src/python/pants/util:memo',
+    'src/python/pants/util:osutil',
   ],
 )
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/clang.py b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/clang.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..36458ad6acf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/clang.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# coding=utf-8
+# Copyright 2018 Pants project contributors (see CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (see LICENSE).
+
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, generators, nested_scopes, print_function,
+                        unicode_literals, with_statement)
+
+import os
+
+from pants.binaries.binary_tool import NativeTool
+from pants.binaries.execution_environment_mixin import ExecutionPathEnvironment
+
+
+class Clang(NativeTool, ExecutionPathEnvironment):
+  options_scope = 'clang'
+  default_version = '6.0.0'
+  archive_type = 'tgz'
+
+  def get_additional_paths(self):
+    return [os.path.join(self.select(), 'bin')]
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/llvm.py b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/gcc.py
similarity index 57%
rename from src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/llvm.py
rename to src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/gcc.py
index 9c97eed26ec..18123e0286a 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/llvm.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/gcc.py
@@ -5,10 +5,16 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, generators, nested_scopes, print_function,
                         unicode_literals, with_statement)
 
+import os
+
 from pants.binaries.binary_tool import NativeTool
+from pants.binaries.execution_environment_mixin import ExecutionPathEnvironment
 
 
-class LLVM(NativeTool):
-  options_scope = 'llvm'
-  default_version = '5.0.1'
+class GCC(NativeTool, ExecutionPathEnvironment):
+  options_scope = 'gcc'
+  default_version = '7.3.0'
   archive_type = 'tgz'
+
+  def get_additional_paths(self):
+    return [os.path.join(self.select(), 'bin')]
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/native_toolchain.py b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/native_toolchain.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c7d04d3b43f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/native_toolchain.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# coding=utf-8
+# Copyright 2018 Pants project contributors (see CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (see LICENSE).
+
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, generators, nested_scopes, print_function,
+                        unicode_literals, with_statement)
+
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
+from pants.backend.native.subsystems.clang import Clang
+from pants.backend.native.subsystems.gcc import GCC
+from pants.backend.native.subsystems.platform_specific.linux.binutils import Binutils
+from pants.binaries.execution_environment_mixin import ExecutionEnvironmentMixin
+from pants.subsystem.subsystem import Subsystem
+from pants.util.memo import memoized_property
+from pants.util.osutil import get_os_name, normalize_os_name
+
+
+class NativeToolchain(Subsystem, ExecutionEnvironmentMixin):
+
+  options_scope = 'native-toolchain'
+
+  PLATFORM_SPECIFIC_TOOLCHAINS = {
+    # TODO(cosmicexplorer): 'darwin' should have everything here, but there's no
+    # open-source linker for OSX...yet.
+    'darwin': [GCC, Clang],
+    'linux': [GCC, Binutils, Clang],
+  }
+
+  @classmethod
+  def _get_platform_specific_toolchains(cls):
+    normed_os_name = normalize_os_name(get_os_name())
+    return cls.PLATFORM_SPECIFIC_TOOLCHAINS[normed_os_name]
+
+  @classmethod
+  def subsystem_dependencies(cls):
+    prev = super(NativeToolchain, cls).subsystem_dependencies()
+    cur_platform_subsystems = cls._get_platform_specific_toolchains()
+    return prev + tuple(sub.scoped(cls) for sub in cur_platform_subsystems)
+
+  @memoized_property
+  def _toolchain_instances(self):
+    cur_platform_subsystems = self._get_platform_specific_toolchains()
+    return [sub.scoped_instance(self) for sub in cur_platform_subsystems]
+
+  def modify_environment(self, env):
+    return self.apply_successive_env_modifications(env, self._toolchain_instances)
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/__init__.py b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/linux/BUILD b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/linux/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3fc007c5e77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/linux/BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Copyright 2018 Pants project contributors (see CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (see LICENSE).
+
+python_library(
+  dependencies=[
+    'src/python/pants/binaries:binary_util',
+    'src/python/pants/binaries:execution_environment_mixin',
+  ],
+)
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/linux/__init__.py b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/linux/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/linux/binutils.py b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/linux/binutils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ef6667a8c4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/native/subsystems/platform_specific/linux/binutils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# coding=utf-8
+# Copyright 2018 Pants project contributors (see CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (see LICENSE).
+
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, generators, nested_scopes, print_function,
+                        unicode_literals, with_statement)
+
+import os
+
+from pants.binaries.binary_tool import NativeTool
+from pants.binaries.execution_environment_mixin import ExecutionPathEnvironment
+
+
+class Binutils(NativeTool, ExecutionPathEnvironment):
+  options_scope = 'binutils'
+  default_version = '2.30'
+  archive_type = 'tgz'
+
+  def get_additional_paths(self):
+    return [os.path.join(self.select(), 'bin')]
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/BUILD b/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/BUILD
index 67f8417b4b2..bb0f66369af 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/BUILD
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/BUILD
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@
 python_library(
   dependencies = [
     '3rdparty/python:setuptools',
+    'src/python/pants/binaries:execution_environment_mixin',
+    'src/python/pants/backend/native',
     'src/python/pants/option',
     'src/python/pants/subsystem',
+    'src/python/pants/util:memo',
   ],
 )
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/python_dist_build_environment.py b/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/python_dist_build_environment.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0e8cdd4338d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/python_dist_build_environment.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# coding=utf-8
+# Copyright 2018 Pants project contributors (see CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (see LICENSE).
+
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, generators, nested_scopes, print_function,
+                        unicode_literals, with_statement)
+
+from pants.backend.native.subsystems.native_toolchain import NativeToolchain
+from pants.binaries.execution_environment_mixin import ExecutionEnvironmentMixin
+from pants.subsystem.subsystem import Subsystem
+from pants.util.memo import memoized_property
+
+
+class PythonDistBuildEnvironment(Subsystem, ExecutionEnvironmentMixin):
+
+  options_scope = 'python-dist-build-environment'
+
+  @classmethod
+  def subsystem_dependencies(cls):
+    return super(PythonDistBuildEnvironment, cls).subsystem_dependencies() + (NativeToolchain.scoped(cls),)
+
+  @memoized_property
+  def _native_toolchain(self):
+    return NativeToolchain.scoped_instance(self)
+
+  def modify_environment(self, env):
+    env = self._native_toolchain.modify_environment(env)
+    # If we're going to be wrapping setup.py-based projects, we really should be
+    # doing it through a subclass of a distutils UnixCCompiler (in Lib/distutils
+    # in the CPython source) instead of hoping setup.py knows what to do. The
+    # default UnixCCompiler from distutils will build a 32/64-bit "fat binary"
+    # unless you use their undocumented ARCHFLAGS env var, and there may be more
+    # dragons later on.
+    env['CC'] = 'gcc'
+    env['CXX'] = 'g++'
+    env['ARCHFLAGS'] = '-arch x86_64'
+    return env
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/python/tasks/build_local_python_distributions.py b/src/python/pants/backend/python/tasks/build_local_python_distributions.py
index b1a93e12dfe..af7a3f78b0c 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/python/tasks/build_local_python_distributions.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/python/tasks/build_local_python_distributions.py
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@
 import glob
 import os
 import shutil
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 from pex.interpreter import PythonInterpreter
 
 from pants.backend.python.python_requirement import PythonRequirement
+from pants.backend.python.subsystems.python_dist_build_environment import PythonDistBuildEnvironment
 from pants.backend.python.targets.python_requirement_library import PythonRequirementLibrary
 from pants.backend.python.tasks.pex_build_util import is_local_python_dist
 from pants.backend.python.tasks.setup_py import SetupPyRunner
@@ -20,7 +22,9 @@
 from pants.base.fingerprint_strategy import DefaultFingerprintStrategy
 from pants.build_graph.address import Address
 from pants.task.task import Task
+from pants.util.contextutil import environment_as
 from pants.util.dirutil import safe_mkdir
+from pants.util.memo import memoized_property
 
 
 class BuildLocalPythonDistributions(Task):
@@ -39,18 +43,34 @@ def product_types(cls):
   def prepare(cls, options, round_manager):
     round_manager.require_data(PythonInterpreter)
 
+  @classmethod
+  def implementation_version(cls):
+    return super(BuildLocalPythonDistributions, cls).implementation_version() + [('BuildLocalPythonDistributions', 1)]
+
+  @classmethod
+  def subsystem_dependencies(cls):
+    return super(BuildLocalPythonDistributions, cls).subsystem_dependencies() + (PythonDistBuildEnvironment.scoped(cls),)
+
+  # TODO: seriously consider subclassing UnixCCompiler as well as the build_ext
+  # command from distutils to control the compiler and linker invocations
+  # transparently instead of hoping distutils does the right thing.
+  @memoized_property
+  def _python_dist_build_environment(self):
+    return PythonDistBuildEnvironment.scoped_instance(self)
+
   @property
   def cache_target_dirs(self):
     return True
 
   def execute(self):
     dist_targets = self.context.targets(is_local_python_dist)
-    build_graph = self.context.build_graph
 
     if dist_targets:
       with self.invalidated(dist_targets,
                             fingerprint_strategy=DefaultFingerprintStrategy(),
                             invalidate_dependents=True) as invalidation_check:
+        interpreter = self.context.products.get_data(PythonInterpreter)
+
         for vt in invalidation_check.invalid_vts:
           if vt.target.dependencies:
             raise TargetDefinitionException(
@@ -58,7 +78,7 @@ def execute(self):
                          'List any 3rd party requirements in the install_requirements argument '
                          'of your setup function.'
             )
-          self._create_dist(vt.target, vt.results_dir)
+          self._create_dist(vt.target, vt.results_dir, interpreter)
 
         for vt in invalidation_check.all_vts:
           dist = self._get_whl_from_dir(os.path.join(vt.results_dir, 'dist'))
@@ -66,26 +86,30 @@ def execute(self):
           self._inject_synthetic_dist_requirements(dist, req_lib_addr)
           # Make any target that depends on the dist depend on the synthetic req_lib,
           # for downstream consumption.
-          for dependent in build_graph.dependents_of(vt.target.address):
-            build_graph.inject_dependency(dependent, req_lib_addr)
-
-  def _create_dist(self, dist_tgt, dist_target_dir):
-    """Create a .whl file for the specified python_distribution target."""
-    interpreter = self.context.products.get_data(PythonInterpreter)
+          for dependent in self.context.build_graph.dependents_of(vt.target.address):
+            self.context.build_graph.inject_dependency(dependent, req_lib_addr)
 
+  def _copy_sources(self, dist_tgt, dist_target_dir):
     # Copy sources and setup.py over to vt results directory for packaging.
     # NB: The directory structure of the destination directory needs to match 1:1
     # with the directory structure that setup.py expects.
-    for src_relative_to_target_base in dist_tgt.sources_relative_to_target_base():
+    all_sources = list(dist_tgt.sources_relative_to_target_base())
+    for src_relative_to_target_base in all_sources:
       src_rel_to_results_dir = os.path.join(dist_target_dir, src_relative_to_target_base)
       safe_mkdir(os.path.dirname(src_rel_to_results_dir))
       abs_src_path = os.path.join(get_buildroot(),
                                   dist_tgt.address.spec_path,
                                   src_relative_to_target_base)
       shutil.copyfile(abs_src_path, src_rel_to_results_dir)
-    # Build a whl using SetupPyRunner and return its absolute path.
-    setup_runner = SetupPyRunner(dist_target_dir, 'bdist_wheel', interpreter=interpreter)
-    setup_runner.run()
+
+  def _create_dist(self, dist_tgt, dist_target_dir, interpreter):
+    """Create a .whl file for the specified python_distribution target."""
+    self.context.log.debug("dist_target_dir: '{}'".format(dist_target_dir))
+    self._copy_sources(dist_tgt, dist_target_dir)
+    with self._python_dist_build_environment.execution_environment():
+      # Build a whl using SetupPyRunner and return its absolute path.
+      setup_runner = SetupPyRunner(dist_target_dir, 'bdist_wheel', interpreter=interpreter)
+      setup_runner.run()
 
   def _inject_synthetic_dist_requirements(self, dist, req_lib_addr):
     """Inject a synthetic requirements library that references a local wheel.
diff --git a/src/python/pants/binaries/BUILD b/src/python/pants/binaries/BUILD
index 6d618604be6..b888c57ed19 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/binaries/BUILD
+++ b/src/python/pants/binaries/BUILD
@@ -30,3 +30,11 @@ python_library(
     'src/python/pants/util:memo',
   ],
 )
+
+python_library(
+  name='execution_environment_mixin',
+  sources=['execution_environment_mixin.py'],
+  dependencies=[
+    'src/python/pants/util:contextutil',
+  ],
+)
diff --git a/src/python/pants/binaries/execution_environment_mixin.py b/src/python/pants/binaries/execution_environment_mixin.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e0e6f02b35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/pants/binaries/execution_environment_mixin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# coding=utf-8
+# Copyright 2018 Pants project contributors (see CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (see LICENSE).
+
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, generators, nested_scopes, print_function,
+                        unicode_literals, with_statement)
+
+import os
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
+from abc import abstractmethod
+
+from pants.util.contextutil import environment_as
+
+
+def prepend_path(prev_env, path_var, new_entries):
+  prev_path = prev_env.get(path_var, None)
+  if prev_path is None:
+    return ':'.join(new_entries)
+  return ':'.join(new_entries + prev_path.split(':'))
+
+
+class ExecutionEnvironmentMixin(object):
+
+  @classmethod
+  def apply_successive_env_modifications(cls, env, environment_mixin_instances):
+    for env_modifier in environment_mixin_instances:
+      env = env_modifier.modify_environment(env)
+    return env
+
+  # There's no reason this has to be just about the shell "environment", really
+  # just has to be a contextmanager. Implementing this method using a literal
+  # chroot, or VM image, or something might be really interesting to just
+  # completely sidestep the installation problem.
+  @contextmanager
+  def execution_environment(self, prev_env=None):
+    if prev_env is None:
+      prev_env = os.environ
+    env_copy = prev_env.copy()
+    new_env = self.modify_environment(env_copy)
+
+    with environment_as(**new_env):
+      yield
+
+  @abstractmethod
+  def modify_environment(self, env): pass
+
+
+class ExecutionPathEnvironment(ExecutionEnvironmentMixin):
+
+  @abstractmethod
+  def get_additional_paths(self): pass
+
+  def modify_environment(self, env):
+    additional_paths = self.get_additional_paths()
+    new_path = prepend_path(env, 'PATH', additional_paths)
+    env['PATH'] = new_path
+    return env