diff --git a/build_library/toolchain_util.sh b/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
index aa44447171..f046e56cea 100644
--- a/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
@@ -194,7 +194,9 @@ get_cross_pkgs() {
 # Get portage arguments restricting toolchains to binary packages only.
 get_binonly_args() {
     local pkgs=( "${TOOLCHAIN_PKGS[@]}" $(get_cross_pkgs "$@") )
-    echo "${pkgs[@]/#/--useoldpkg-atoms=}" "${pkgs[@]/#/--rebuild-exclude=}"
+    # XXX: Revert this binutils change after stable > 1535.
+    local tmppkgs=( ${pkgs[*]##*/binutils} )
+    echo "${tmppkgs[@]/#/--useoldpkg-atoms=}" "${pkgs[@]/#/--rebuild-exclude=}"
 }
 
 ### Toolchain building utilities ###
diff --git a/update_chroot b/update_chroot
index 85b703d3bd..ca145630e5 100755
--- a/update_chroot
+++ b/update_chroot
@@ -241,6 +241,9 @@ sudo -E ${EMERGE_CMD} "${EMERGE_FLAGS[@]}" \
     coreos-devel/sdk-depends world
 
 info "Removing obsolete packages"
+# XXX: Remove these binutils lines after stable > 1535.
+cats=( '<=sys-devel' "${BOARD_CHOSTS[@]/#/<=cross-}" )
+sudo -E emerge --quiet --unmerge "${cats[@]/%//binutils-2.28.0}" 2>/dev/null || :
 sudo -E ${EMERGE_CMD} --quiet --depclean @unavailable
 
 if portageq list_preserved_libs / >/dev/null; then