diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 58dc08ee7..db745520d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 - #722 - boolean environment variables are evaluated as truthy or falsey.
+- #721 - add support for running doctests on nightly if `CROSS_UNSTABLE_ENABLE_DOCTESTS=true`.
 - #718 - remove deb subcommand.
 - #714 - use host target directory when falling back to host cargo.
 - #713 - convert relative target directories to absolute paths.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 80f6f437a..fb76f317f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -207,6 +207,15 @@ passthrough = [
 ]
 ```
 
+### Unstable Features
+
+Certain unstable features can enable additional functionality useful to 
+cross-compiling. Note that these are unstable, and may be removed at any
+time (particularly if the feature is stabilized or removed), and will
+only be used on a nightly channel.
+
+- `CROSS_UNSTABLE_ENABLE_DOCTESTS=true`: also run doctests.
+
 ### Mounting volumes into the build environment
 
 In addition to passing environment variables, you can also specify environment
diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 6221324f8..6b747ebc8 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ pub struct Args {
     pub target: Option<Target>,
     pub target_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
     pub docker_in_docker: bool,
+    pub enable_doctests: bool,
 }
 
 // Fix for issue #581. target_dir must be absolute.
@@ -85,6 +86,9 @@ pub fn parse(target_list: &TargetList) -> Result<Args> {
     let docker_in_docker = env::var("CROSS_DOCKER_IN_DOCKER")
         .map(|s| bool_from_envvar(&s))
         .unwrap_or_default();
+    let enable_doctests = env::var("CROSS_UNSTABLE_ENABLE_DOCTESTS")
+        .map(|s| bool_from_envvar(&s))
+        .unwrap_or_default();
 
     Ok(Args {
         all,
@@ -93,5 +97,6 @@ pub fn parse(target_list: &TargetList) -> Result<Args> {
         target,
         target_dir,
         docker_in_docker,
+        enable_doctests,
     })
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index ad7ca7f11..29f3ffb3b 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::process::ExitStatus;
 
 use config::Config;
+use rustc_version::Channel;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 
 use self::cargo::{Root, Subcommand};
@@ -314,6 +315,7 @@ fn run() -> Result<ExitStatus> {
                 default_toolchain.to_string()
             };
             sysroot.set_file_name(&toolchain);
+            let mut is_nightly = toolchain.contains("nightly");
 
             let installed_toolchains = rustup::installed_toolchains(verbose)?;
 
@@ -321,13 +323,14 @@ fn run() -> Result<ExitStatus> {
                 rustup::install_toolchain(&toolchain, verbose)?;
             }
             // TODO: Provide a way to pick/match the toolchain version as a consumer of `cross`.
-            if let Some((rustc_version, rustc_commit)) = rustup::rustc_version(&sysroot)? {
+            if let Some((rustc_version, channel, rustc_commit)) = rustup::rustc_version(&sysroot)? {
                 warn_host_version_mismatch(
                     &host_version_meta,
                     &toolchain,
                     &rustc_version,
                     &rustc_commit,
                 )?;
+                is_nightly = channel == Channel::Nightly;
             }
 
             let available_targets = rustup::available_targets(&toolchain, verbose)?;
@@ -358,7 +361,7 @@ fn run() -> Result<ExitStatus> {
                 .map(|sc| sc.needs_interpreter())
                 .unwrap_or(false);
 
-            let filtered_args = if args
+            let mut filtered_args = if args
                 .subcommand
                 .map_or(false, |s| !s.needs_target_in_command())
             {
@@ -384,6 +387,14 @@ fn run() -> Result<ExitStatus> {
                 args.all.clone()
             };
 
+            let is_test = args
+                .subcommand
+                .map(|sc| sc == Subcommand::Test)
+                .unwrap_or(false);
+            if is_test && args.enable_doctests && is_nightly {
+                filtered_args.push("-Zdoctest-xcompile".to_string());
+            }
+
             if target.needs_docker() && args.subcommand.map(|sc| sc.needs_docker()).unwrap_or(false)
             {
                 if host_version_meta.needs_interpreter()
diff --git a/src/rustup.rs b/src/rustup.rs
index a3ca05511..5b78006af 100644
--- a/src/rustup.rs
+++ b/src/rustup.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::path::Path;
 use std::process::Command;
 
-use rustc_version::Version;
+use rustc_version::{Channel, Version};
 
 use crate::errors::*;
 use crate::extensions::CommandExt;
@@ -101,7 +101,17 @@ pub fn component_is_installed(component: &str, toolchain: &str, verbose: bool) -
         .any(|l| l.starts_with(component) && l.contains("installed")))
 }
 
-pub fn rustc_version(toolchain_path: &Path) -> Result<Option<(Version, String)>> {
+fn rustc_channel(version: &Version) -> Result<Channel> {
+    match version.pre.split('.').next().unwrap() {
+        "" => Ok(Channel::Stable),
+        "dev" => Ok(Channel::Dev),
+        "beta" => Ok(Channel::Beta),
+        "nightly" => Ok(Channel::Nightly),
+        x => eyre::bail!("unknown prerelease tag {x}"),
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn rustc_version(toolchain_path: &Path) -> Result<Option<(Version, Channel, String)>> {
     let path = toolchain_path.join("lib/rustlib/multirust-channel-manifest.toml");
     if path.exists() {
         let contents = std::fs::read(&path)
@@ -115,12 +125,11 @@ pub fn rustc_version(toolchain_path: &Path) -> Result<Option<(Version, String)>>
         {
             // Field is `"{version} ({commit} {date})"`
             if let Some((version, meta)) = rust_version.split_once(' ') {
-                return Ok(Some((
-                    Version::parse(version).wrap_err_with(|| {
-                        format!("invalid rust version found in {}", path.display())
-                    })?,
-                    meta.to_owned(),
-                )));
+                let version = Version::parse(version).wrap_err_with(|| {
+                    format!("invalid rust version found in {}", path.display())
+                })?;
+                let channel = rustc_channel(&version)?;
+                return Ok(Some((version, channel, meta.to_owned())));
             }
         }
     }