diff --git a/src/cmd/cgo/doc.go b/src/cmd/cgo/doc.go
index 1c24b76407..70685c7410 100644
--- a/src/cmd/cgo/doc.go
+++ b/src/cmd/cgo/doc.go
@@ -119,8 +119,10 @@ specified by a -I flag), then "#include <foo/bar.h>" will always find the
 local version in preference to any other version.
 
 The cgo tool is enabled by default for native builds on systems where
-it is expected to work. It is disabled by default when
-cross-compiling. You can control this by setting the CGO_ENABLED
+it is expected to work. It is disabled by default when cross-compiling
+as well as when the CC environment variable is unset and the default
+C compiler (typically gcc or clang) cannot be found on the system PATH.
+You can override the default by setting the CGO_ENABLED
 environment variable when running the go tool: set it to 1 to enable
 the use of cgo, and to 0 to disable it. The go tool will set the
 build constraint "cgo" if cgo is enabled. The special import "C"
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/cfg/cfg.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/cfg/cfg.go
index 30acde0a5a..3257140515 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/cfg/cfg.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/cfg/cfg.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"internal/cfg"
 	"io"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
@@ -148,7 +149,21 @@ func defaultContext() build.Context {
 		// go/build.Default.GOOS/GOARCH == runtime.GOOS/GOARCH.
 		// So ctxt.CgoEnabled (== go/build.Default.CgoEnabled) is correct
 		// as is and can be left unmodified.
-		// Nothing to do here.
+		//
+		// All that said, starting in Go 1.20 we layer one more rule
+		// on top of the go/build decision: if CC is unset and
+		// the default C compiler we'd look for is not in the PATH,
+		// we automatically default cgo to off.
+		// This makes go builds work automatically on systems
+		// without a C compiler installed.
+		if ctxt.CgoEnabled {
+			if os.Getenv("CC") == "" {
+				cc := DefaultCC(ctxt.GOOS, ctxt.GOARCH)
+				if _, err := exec.LookPath(cc); err != nil {
+					ctxt.CgoEnabled = false
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	ctxt.OpenFile = func(path string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/autocgo.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/autocgo.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..522eaf46e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/autocgo.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Test automatic setting of CGO_ENABLED based on $CC and what's in $PATH.
+
+[!cgo] skip
+[cross] skip
+
+# Assume we're on a system that can enable cgo normally.
+env CGO_ENABLED=
+go env CGO_ENABLED
+stdout 1
+
+# Clearing CC and removing everything but Go from the PATH should disable cgo: no C compiler anymore.
+env CC=
+env PATH=$GOROOT/bin
+go env CGO_ENABLED
+stdout 0
+
+# Setting CC should re-enable cgo.
+env CC=cc
+go env CGO_ENABLED
+stdout 1
+
+# So should setting CGO_ENABLED.
+env CC=
+env CGO_ENABLED=1
+go env CGO_ENABLED
+stdout 1