diff -Naur a/tools/gyp/pylib/gyp/xcode_emulation.py b/tools/gyp/pylib/gyp/xcode_emulation.py
--- a/tools/gyp/pylib/gyp/xcode_emulation.py	2014-01-23 06:05:51.000000000 +0100
+++ b/tools/gyp/pylib/gyp/xcode_emulation.py	2014-02-04 17:49:48.000000000 +0100
@@ -302,10 +302,17 @@
 
   def _XcodeSdkPath(self, sdk_root):
     if sdk_root not in XcodeSettings._sdk_path_cache:
-      sdk_path = self._GetSdkVersionInfoItem(sdk_root, 'Path')
-      XcodeSettings._sdk_path_cache[sdk_root] = sdk_path
-      if sdk_root:
-        XcodeSettings._sdk_root_cache[sdk_path] = sdk_root
+      try:
+        sdk_path = self._GetSdkVersionInfoItem(sdk_root, 'Path')
+        XcodeSettings._sdk_path_cache[sdk_root] = sdk_path
+        if sdk_root:
+          XcodeSettings._sdk_root_cache[sdk_path] = sdk_root
+      except:
+        # if this fails it's because xcodebuild failed, which means
+        # the user is probably on a CLT-only system, where there
+        # is no valid SDK root
+        XcodeSettings._sdk_path_cache[sdk_root] = None
+        
     return XcodeSettings._sdk_path_cache[sdk_root]
 
   def _AppendPlatformVersionMinFlags(self, lst):
@@ -420,10 +427,12 @@
       framework_root = sdk_root
     else:
       framework_root = ''
-    config = self.spec['configurations'][self.configname]
-    framework_dirs = config.get('mac_framework_dirs', [])
-    for directory in framework_dirs:
-      cflags.append('-F' + directory.replace('$(SDKROOT)', framework_root))
+    
+    if 'SDKROOT' in self._Settings():
+      config = self.spec['configurations'][self.configname]
+      framework_dirs = config.get('mac_framework_dirs', [])
+      for directory in framework_dirs:
+        cflags.append('-F' + directory.replace('$(SDKROOT)', framework_root))
 
     self.configname = None
     return cflags
@@ -673,10 +682,12 @@
     sdk_root = self._SdkPath()
     if not sdk_root:
       sdk_root = ''
-    config = self.spec['configurations'][self.configname]
-    framework_dirs = config.get('mac_framework_dirs', [])
-    for directory in framework_dirs:
-      ldflags.append('-F' + directory.replace('$(SDKROOT)', sdk_root))
+    
+    if 'SDKROOT' in self._Settings():
+      config = self.spec['configurations'][self.configname]
+      framework_dirs = config.get('mac_framework_dirs', [])
+      for directory in framework_dirs:
+        ldflags.append('-F' + directory.replace('$(SDKROOT)', sdk_root))
 
     self.configname = None
     return ldflags
@@ -863,7 +874,11 @@
     sdk_root = self._SdkPath(config_name)
     if not sdk_root:
       sdk_root = ''
-    return l.replace('$(SDKROOT)', sdk_root)
+    
+    if self._SdkPath():
+      return l.replace('$(SDKROOT)', sdk_root)
+    else:
+      return l
 
   def AdjustLibraries(self, libraries, config_name=None):
     """Transforms entries like 'Cocoa.framework' in libraries into entries like
@@ -1018,12 +1033,16 @@
     # Since the value returned by this function is only used when ARCHS is not
     # set, then on iOS we return "i386", as the default xcode project generator
     # does not set ARCHS if it is not set in the .gyp file.
-    if self.isIOS:
+    
+    try:
+      if self.isIOS:
+        return 'i386'
+      version, build = self._XcodeVersion()
+      if version >= '0500':
+        return 'x86_64'
       return 'i386'
-    version, build = self._XcodeVersion()
-    if version >= '0500':
+    except:
       return 'x86_64'
-    return 'i386'
 
 class MacPrefixHeader(object):
   """A class that helps with emulating Xcode's GCC_PREFIX_HEADER feature.