diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index faae2106764..5aaafd83c1e 100755
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -23,12 +23,6 @@ end
 
 # Add the extension compiler task
 Rake::ExtensionTask.new('grpc_c', spec) do |ext|
-  unless RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
-    # TODO: also set "no_native to true" for mac if possible. As is,
-    # "no_native" can only be set if the RUBY_PLATFORM doing
-    # cross-compilation is contained in the "ext.cross_platform" array.
-    ext.no_native = true
-  end
   ext.source_pattern = '**/*.{c,h}'
   ext.ext_dir = File.join('src', 'ruby', 'ext', 'grpc')
   ext.lib_dir = File.join('src', 'ruby', 'lib', 'grpc')
@@ -36,6 +30,7 @@ Rake::ExtensionTask.new('grpc_c', spec) do |ext|
   ext.cross_platform = [
     'x86-mingw32', 'x64-mingw32',
     'x86_64-linux', 'x86-linux',
+    'x86_64-darwin',
     'universal-darwin'
   ]
   ext.cross_compiling do |spec|
@@ -47,6 +42,8 @@ Rake::ExtensionTask.new('grpc_c', spec) do |ext|
   end
 end
 
+CLEAN.add "src/ruby/lib/grpc/[0-9].[0-9]", "src/ruby/lib/grpc/grpc_c.{bundle,so}"
+
 # Define the test suites
 SPEC_SUITES = [
   { id: :wrapper, title: 'wrapper layer', files: %w(src/ruby/spec/*.rb) },
@@ -106,14 +103,13 @@ task 'dlls' do
     env_comp += "CXX=#{opt[:cross]}-g++ "
     env_comp += "LD=#{opt[:cross]}-gcc "
     env_comp += "LDXX=#{opt[:cross]}-g++ "
-    run_rake_compiler opt[:platform], <<-EOT
+    run_rake_compiler(opt[:platform], <<~EOT)
       gem update --system --no-document && \
       #{env} #{env_comp} make -j`nproc` #{out} && \
       #{opt[:cross]}-strip -x -S #{out} && \
       cp #{out} #{opt[:out]}
     EOT
   end
-
 end
 
 desc 'Build the native gem file under rake_compiler_dock'
@@ -135,10 +131,11 @@ task 'gem:native' do
   else
     Rake::Task['dlls'].execute
     ['x86-mingw32', 'x64-mingw32'].each do |plat|
-      run_rake_compiler plat, <<-EOT
+      run_rake_compiler(plat, <<~EOT)
         gem update --system --no-document && \
         bundle && \
-        rake native:#{plat} pkg/#{spec.full_name}-#{plat}.gem pkg/#{spec.full_name}.gem \
+        bundle exec rake clean && \
+        bundle exec rake native:#{plat} pkg/#{spec.full_name}-#{plat}.gem pkg/#{spec.full_name}.gem \
           RUBY_CC_VERSION=#{ruby_cc_versions} \
           V=#{verbose} \
           GRPC_CONFIG=#{grpc_config}
@@ -147,11 +144,12 @@ task 'gem:native' do
     # Truncate grpc_c.*.ruby files because they're for Windows only.
     File.truncate('grpc_c.32.ruby', 0)
     File.truncate('grpc_c.64.ruby', 0)
-    ['x86_64-linux', 'x86-linux'].each do |plat|
-      run_rake_compiler plat, <<-EOT
+    ['x86_64-linux', 'x86-linux', 'x86_64-darwin'].each do |plat|
+      run_rake_compiler(plat, <<~EOT)
         gem update --system --no-document && \
         bundle && \
-        rake native:#{plat} pkg/#{spec.full_name}-#{plat}.gem pkg/#{spec.full_name}.gem \
+        bundle exec rake clean && \
+        bundle exec rake native:#{plat} pkg/#{spec.full_name}-#{plat}.gem pkg/#{spec.full_name}.gem \
           RUBY_CC_VERSION=#{ruby_cc_versions} \
           V=#{verbose} \
           GRPC_CONFIG=#{grpc_config}
diff --git a/grpc.gemspec b/grpc.gemspec
index be68619d956..55fa6d8d109 100644
--- a/grpc.gemspec
+++ b/grpc.gemspec
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.add_development_dependency 'simplecov',          '~> 0.14.1'
   s.add_development_dependency 'rake',               '~> 13.0'
   s.add_development_dependency 'rake-compiler',      '~> 1.1'
-  s.add_development_dependency 'rake-compiler-dock', '~> 1.0'
+  s.add_development_dependency 'rake-compiler-dock', '~> 1.1'
   s.add_development_dependency 'rspec',              '~> 3.6'
   s.add_development_dependency 'rubocop',            '~> 0.49.1'
   s.add_development_dependency 'signet',             '~> 0.7'
diff --git a/src/ruby/ext/grpc/extconf.rb b/src/ruby/ext/grpc/extconf.rb
index e4b81b4d472..3b6b029b7ed 100644
--- a/src/ruby/ext/grpc/extconf.rb
+++ b/src/ruby/ext/grpc/extconf.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ require 'mkmf'
 
 windows = RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /mingw|mswin/
 bsd = RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /bsd/
+darwin = RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+linux = RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /linux/
+cross_compiling = ENV['RCD_HOST_RUBY_VERSION'] # set by rake-compiler-dock in build containers
 
 grpc_root = File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../../../..'))
 
@@ -37,17 +40,17 @@ if ENV['LD'].nil? || ENV['LD'].size == 0
     ENV['LD'] = ENV['CC']
 end
 
-if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+if darwin && !cross_compiling
   ENV['AR'] = 'libtool'
   ENV['ARFLAGS'] = '-o'
- end
+end
 
 ENV['EMBED_OPENSSL'] = 'true'
 ENV['EMBED_ZLIB'] = 'true'
 ENV['EMBED_CARES'] = 'true'
 
 ENV['ARCH_FLAGS'] = RbConfig::CONFIG['ARCH_FLAG']
-if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+if darwin && !cross_compiling
   if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /arm64/
     ENV['ARCH_FLAGS'] = '-arch arm64'
   else
@@ -75,8 +78,8 @@ end
 $CFLAGS << ' -I' + File.join(grpc_root, 'include')
 
 ext_export_file = File.join(grpc_root, 'src', 'ruby', 'ext', 'grpc', 'ext-export')
-$LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,--version-script="' + ext_export_file + '.gcc"' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /linux/
-$LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,-exported_symbols_list,"' + ext_export_file + '.clang"' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+$LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,--version-script="' + ext_export_file + '.gcc"' if linux
+$LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,-exported_symbols_list,"' + ext_export_file + '.clang"' if darwin
 
 $LDFLAGS << ' ' + File.join(grpc_lib_dir, 'libgrpc.a') unless windows
 if grpc_config == 'gcov'
@@ -88,8 +91,8 @@ if grpc_config == 'dbg'
   $CFLAGS << ' -O0 -ggdb3'
 end
 
-$LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,-wrap,memcpy' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /linux/
-$LDFLAGS << ' -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /linux/
+$LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,-wrap,memcpy' if linux
+$LDFLAGS << ' -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++' if linux
 $LDFLAGS << ' -static' if windows
 
 $CFLAGS << ' -std=c99 '
@@ -102,7 +105,7 @@ puts 'Generating Makefile for ' + output
 create_makefile(output)
 
 strip_tool = RbConfig::CONFIG['STRIP']
-strip_tool = 'strip -x' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+strip_tool += ' -x' if darwin
 
 if grpc_config == 'opt'
   File.open('Makefile.new', 'w') do |o|
diff --git a/templates/grpc.gemspec.template b/templates/grpc.gemspec.template
index ac543af7a64..d7f625f70cf 100644
--- a/templates/grpc.gemspec.template
+++ b/templates/grpc.gemspec.template
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     s.add_development_dependency 'simplecov',          '~> 0.14.1'
     s.add_development_dependency 'rake',               '~> 13.0'
     s.add_development_dependency 'rake-compiler',      '~> 1.1'
-    s.add_development_dependency 'rake-compiler-dock', '~> 1.0'
+    s.add_development_dependency 'rake-compiler-dock', '~> 1.1'
     s.add_development_dependency 'rspec',              '~> 3.6'
     s.add_development_dependency 'rubocop',            '~> 0.49.1'
     s.add_development_dependency 'signet',             '~> 0.7'
diff --git a/templates/src/ruby/ext/grpc/extconf.rb.template b/templates/src/ruby/ext/grpc/extconf.rb.template
index 1130ba8bbbc..03a50d736c8 100644
--- a/templates/src/ruby/ext/grpc/extconf.rb.template
+++ b/templates/src/ruby/ext/grpc/extconf.rb.template
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
   
   windows = RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /mingw|mswin/
   bsd = RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /bsd/
+  darwin = RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+  linux = RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /linux/
+  cross_compiling = ENV['RCD_HOST_RUBY_VERSION'] # set by rake-compiler-dock in build containers
   
   grpc_root = File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../../../..'))
   
@@ -39,17 +42,17 @@
       ENV['LD'] = ENV['CC']
   end
   
-  if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+  if darwin && !cross_compiling
     ENV['AR'] = 'libtool'
     ENV['ARFLAGS'] = '-o'
-   end
+  end
   
   ENV['EMBED_OPENSSL'] = 'true'
   ENV['EMBED_ZLIB'] = 'true'
   ENV['EMBED_CARES'] = 'true'
   
   ENV['ARCH_FLAGS'] = RbConfig::CONFIG['ARCH_FLAG']
-  if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+  if darwin && !cross_compiling
     if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /arm64/
       ENV['ARCH_FLAGS'] = '-arch arm64'
     else
@@ -77,8 +80,8 @@
   $CFLAGS << ' -I' + File.join(grpc_root, 'include')
   
   ext_export_file = File.join(grpc_root, 'src', 'ruby', 'ext', 'grpc', 'ext-export')
-  $LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,--version-script="' + ext_export_file + '.gcc"' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /linux/
-  $LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,-exported_symbols_list,"' + ext_export_file + '.clang"' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+  $LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,--version-script="' + ext_export_file + '.gcc"' if linux
+  $LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,-exported_symbols_list,"' + ext_export_file + '.clang"' if darwin
   
   $LDFLAGS << ' ' + File.join(grpc_lib_dir, 'libgrpc.a') unless windows
   if grpc_config == 'gcov'
@@ -90,8 +93,8 @@
     $CFLAGS << ' -O0 -ggdb3'
   end
   
-  $LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,-wrap,memcpy' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /linux/
-  $LDFLAGS << ' -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /linux/
+  $LDFLAGS << ' -Wl,-wrap,memcpy' if linux
+  $LDFLAGS << ' -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++' if linux
   $LDFLAGS << ' -static' if windows
   
   $CFLAGS << ' -std=c99 '
@@ -104,7 +107,7 @@
   create_makefile(output)
   
   strip_tool = RbConfig::CONFIG['STRIP']
-  strip_tool = 'strip -x' if RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /darwin/
+  strip_tool += ' -x' if darwin
   
   if grpc_config == 'opt'
     File.open('Makefile.new', 'w') do |o|
diff --git a/third_party/rake-compiler-dock/rake_x86_64-darwin/Dockerfile b/third_party/rake-compiler-dock/rake_x86_64-darwin/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5c7bb861000
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third_party/rake-compiler-dock/rake_x86_64-darwin/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+FROM larskanis/rake-compiler-dock-mri-x86_64-darwin:1.1.0