diff --git a/src/cmd/go/note_test.go b/src/cmd/go/note_test.go
index 13ccfc74c0..d198138d83 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/note_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/note_test.go
@@ -54,10 +54,14 @@ func TestNoteReading(t *testing.T) {
 		// Test while forcing use of the gold linker, since in the past
 		// we've had trouble reading the notes generated by gold.
 		err := tg.doRun([]string{"build", "-ldflags", "-buildid=" + buildID + " -linkmode=external -extldflags=-fuse-ld=gold", "-o", tg.path("hello3.exe"), tg.path("hello.go")})
-		if err != nil && (tg.grepCountBoth("invalid linker") > 0 || tg.grepCountBoth("gold") > 0) {
-			// It's not an error if gold isn't there.
-			t.Log("skipping gold test")
-			break
+		if err != nil {
+			if tg.grepCountBoth("(invalid linker|gold|cannot find 'ld')") > 0 {
+				// It's not an error if gold isn't there. gcc claims it "cannot find 'ld'" if
+				// ld.gold is missing, see issue #22340.
+				t.Log("skipping gold test")
+				break
+			}
+			t.Fatalf("building hello binary: %v", err)
 		}
 		id, err = buildid.ReadFile(tg.path("hello3.exe"))
 		if err != nil {