diff --git a/test-project/Cargo.toml b/test-project/Cargo.toml
index 15e5e60..411ea58 100644
--- a/test-project/Cargo.toml
+++ b/test-project/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,3 +14,14 @@ path = "src/bin1.rs"
 [[bin]]
 name = "bin2"
 path = "src/bin2.rs"
+
+# workaround for https://github.com/cross-rs/cross/issues/1345
+[package.metadata.cross.target.x86_64-unknown-netbsd]
+pre-build = [
+    "mkdir -p /tmp/netbsd",
+    "curl https://cdn.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-9.2/amd64/binary/sets/base.tar.xz -O",
+    "tar -C /tmp/netbsd -xJf base.tar.xz",
+    "cp /tmp/netbsd/usr/lib/libexecinfo.so /usr/local/x86_64-unknown-netbsd/lib",
+    "rm base.tar.xz",
+    "rm -rf /tmp/netbsd",
+]
diff --git a/test-project/subcrate/Cargo.toml b/test-project/subcrate/Cargo.toml
index e70b99f..c628c9e 100644
--- a/test-project/subcrate/Cargo.toml
+++ b/test-project/subcrate/Cargo.toml
@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@ name = "subcrate"
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
 
-# See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
-
-[dependencies]
+# workaround for https://github.com/cross-rs/cross/issues/1345
+[package.metadata.cross.target.x86_64-unknown-netbsd]
+pre-build = [
+    "mkdir -p /tmp/netbsd",
+    "curl https://cdn.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-9.2/amd64/binary/sets/base.tar.xz -O",
+    "tar -C /tmp/netbsd -xJf base.tar.xz",
+    "cp /tmp/netbsd/usr/lib/libexecinfo.so /usr/local/x86_64-unknown-netbsd/lib",
+    "rm base.tar.xz",
+    "rm -rf /tmp/netbsd",
+]