diff --git a/dkarm/rules/base_rules b/dkarm/rules/base_rules
index 3b6b4a0..f5fde10 100644
--- a/dkarm/rules/base_rules
+++ b/dkarm/rules/base_rules
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ PREFIX		:=	arm-elf-
 
 export CC		:=	$(PREFIX)gcc
 export CXX		:=	$(PREFIX)g++
+export AS		:=	$(PREFIX)as
 export AR		:=	$(PREFIX)ar
 export OBJCOPY	:=	$(PREFIX)objcopy
 
@@ -44,15 +45,11 @@ export OBJCOPY	:=	$(PREFIX)objcopy
 # canned command sequence for binary data
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 define bin2o
-	padbin 4 $(<)
-	$(OBJCOPY) -I binary -O elf32-littlearm -B arm \
-	--rename-section .data=.rodata,readonly,data,contents,alloc \
-	--redefine-sym _binary_`(echo $(<) | sed -e 's/^\/\([a-zA-Z]\/\)/\1_/' | tr . _ | tr / _)`_start=`(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`\
-	--redefine-sym _binary_`(echo $(<) | sed -e 's/^\/\([a-zA-Z]\/\)/\1_/' | tr . _ | tr / _)`_end=`(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`_end\
-	--redefine-sym _binary_`(echo $(<) | sed -e 's/^\/\([a-zA-Z]\/\)/\1_/' | tr . _ | tr / _)`_size=`(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`_size\
-	$(<) $(@)
-	echo "extern const u32" `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`"_end[];" > `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`.h
-	echo "extern const u8" `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`"[];" >> `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`.h
-	echo "extern const u32" `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`_size[]";" >> `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`.h
+	bin2s $< | $(AS) $(ARCH) -o $(@)
+	echo "extern const u32" `(echo $(<F) | sed -e 's/^\([0-9]\)/_\1/' | tr . _)`"_end[];" > `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`.h
+	echo "extern const u8" `(echo $(<F) | sed -e 's/^\([0-9]\)/_\1/' | tr . _)`"[];" >> `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`.h
+	echo "extern const u32" `(echo $(<F) | sed -e 's/^\([0-9]\)/_\1/' | tr . _)`_len[]";" >> `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`.h
+	echo "#define" `(echo $(<F) | sed -e 's/^\([0-9]\)/_\1/' | tr . _)`"_size (u32)"`(echo $(<F) | sed -e 's/^\([0-9]\)/_\1/' | tr . _)`_len >> `(echo $(<F) | tr . _)`.h
+
 endef
 
diff --git a/dkarm/rules/ds_rules b/dkarm/rules/ds_rules
index f6ea414..e92a54c 100644
--- a/dkarm/rules/ds_rules
+++ b/dkarm/rules/ds_rules
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
--include $(DEVKITARM)/base_rules
+ifeq ($(strip $(DEVKITPRO)),)
+$(error "Please set DEVKITPRO in your environment. export DEVKITPRO=<path to>devkitPro)
+endif
+
+include $(DEVKITARM)/base_rules
 
 LIBNDS	:=	$(DEVKITPRO)/libnds
 
@@ -8,16 +12,21 @@ LIBNDS	:=	$(DEVKITPRO)/libnds
 	@echo built ... $(notdir $@)
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-%.nds: %.bin
+%.nds: %.arm9
 	@ndstool -c $@ -9 $<
 	@echo built ... $(notdir $@)
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-%.bin: %.elf
+%.arm9: %.elf
 	@$(OBJCOPY) -O binary $< $@
 	@echo built ... $(notdir $@)
  
+#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+%.arm7: %.elf
+	@$(OBJCOPY) -O binary $< $@
+	@echo built ... $(notdir $@)
+
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 %.elf:
-	@echo linking binary
+	@echo linking $(notdir $@)
 	@$(LD)  $(LDFLAGS) $(OFILES) $(LIBPATHS) $(LIBS) -o $@