diff --git a/toolchain/helpers.mk b/toolchain/helpers.mk
index f3fdaaec07..21c710d0fb 100644
--- a/toolchain/helpers.mk
+++ b/toolchain/helpers.mk
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ copy_toolchain_lib_root = \
 # Note that the 'locale' directories are not copied. They are huge
 # (400+MB) in CodeSourcery toolchains, and they are not really useful.
 #
+# usr/sbin may be a directory in the source toolchain, but a symlink
+# in the destination sysroot, when we are using a merged-bin. Account
+# for that.
+#
 # $1: main sysroot directory of the toolchain
 # $2: arch specific sysroot directory of the toolchain
 # $3: arch specific subdirectory in the sysroot
@@ -109,13 +113,13 @@ copy_toolchain_sysroot = \
 	ARCH_SUBDIR="$(strip $3)"; \
 	ARCH_LIB_DIR="$(strip $4)" ; \
 	SUPPORT_LIB_DIR="$(strip $5)" ; \
-	for i in etc $${ARCH_LIB_DIR} sbin usr usr/$${ARCH_LIB_DIR}; do \
+	for i in etc $${ARCH_LIB_DIR} sbin usr usr/$${ARCH_LIB_DIR} usr/sbin; do \
 		if [ ! -d $${ARCH_SYSROOT_DIR}/$$i ] ; then \
 			continue ; \
 		fi ; \
 		if [ "$$i" = "usr" ]; then \
 			rsync -au --chmod=u=rwX,go=rX --exclude 'locale/' \
-				--include '/libexec*/' --exclude '/lib*/' \
+				--include '/libexec*/' --exclude '/lib*/' --exclude '/sbin' \
 				$${ARCH_SYSROOT_DIR}/$$i/ $(STAGING_DIR)/$$i/ ; \
 		else \
 			rsync -au --chmod=u=rwX,go=rX --exclude 'locale/' \