diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/cfg/cfg.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/cfg/cfg.go
index f71fcdaeb9..3257140515 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/cfg/cfg.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/cfg/cfg.go
@@ -159,14 +159,7 @@ func defaultContext() build.Context {
 		if ctxt.CgoEnabled {
 			if os.Getenv("CC") == "" {
 				cc := DefaultCC(ctxt.GOOS, ctxt.GOARCH)
-				if filepath.IsAbs(cc) {
-					if _, err := os.Stat(cc); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-						// The default CC is an absolute path that doesn't exist.
-						// (Perhaps make.bash was run on a system with a C compiler
-						// installed, and the current system doesn't have it there.)
-						ctxt.CgoEnabled = false
-					}
-				} else if _, err := exec.LookPath(cc); err != nil {
+				if _, err := exec.LookPath(cc); err != nil {
 					ctxt.CgoEnabled = false
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/scriptconds_test.go b/src/cmd/go/scriptconds_test.go
index 2717dbb4ae..516375021a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/scriptconds_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/scriptconds_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func defaultCCIsAbsolute(s *script.State) (bool, error) {
 	GOARCH, _ := s.LookupEnv("GOARCH")
 	defaultCC := cfg.DefaultCC(GOOS, GOARCH)
 	if filepath.IsAbs(defaultCC) {
-		if _, err := os.Stat(defaultCC); err == nil {
+		if _, err := exec.LookPath(defaultCC); err == nil {
 			return true, nil
 		}
 	}