diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/core/builder.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/core/builder.rs
index 304fe8da2bf52..45587542c061e 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/core/builder.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/core/builder.rs
@@ -2456,7 +2456,15 @@ impl Cargo {
         cmd_kind: Kind,
     ) -> Cargo {
         let mut cargo = builder.cargo(compiler, mode, source_type, target, cmd_kind);
-        cargo.configure_linker(builder);
+
+        match cmd_kind {
+            // No need to configure the target linker for these command types.
+            Kind::Clean | Kind::Check | Kind::Suggest | Kind::Format | Kind::Setup => {}
+            _ => {
+                cargo.configure_linker(builder);
+            }
+        }
+
         cargo
     }
 
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/utils/cc_detect.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/utils/cc_detect.rs
index 29e6b74aaceb8..a2c7ab31df8a5 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/utils/cc_detect.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/utils/cc_detect.rs
@@ -87,15 +87,29 @@ fn new_cc_build(build: &Build, target: TargetSelection) -> cc::Build {
 }
 
 pub fn find(build: &Build) {
-    // For all targets we're going to need a C compiler for building some shims
-    // and such as well as for being a linker for Rust code.
-    let targets = build
-        .targets
-        .iter()
-        .chain(&build.hosts)
-        .cloned()
-        .chain(iter::once(build.build))
-        .collect::<HashSet<_>>();
+    let targets: HashSet<_> = match build.config.cmd {
+        // We don't need to check cross targets for these commands.
+        crate::Subcommand::Clean { .. }
+        | crate::Subcommand::Check { .. }
+        | crate::Subcommand::Suggest { .. }
+        | crate::Subcommand::Format { .. }
+        | crate::Subcommand::Setup { .. } => {
+            build.hosts.iter().cloned().chain(iter::once(build.build)).collect()
+        }
+
+        _ => {
+            // For all targets we're going to need a C compiler for building some shims
+            // and such as well as for being a linker for Rust code.
+            build
+                .targets
+                .iter()
+                .chain(&build.hosts)
+                .cloned()
+                .chain(iter::once(build.build))
+                .collect()
+        }
+    };
+
     for target in targets.into_iter() {
         find_target(build, target);
     }