diff --git a/src/bootstrap/lib.rs b/src/bootstrap/lib.rs
index cc0cf12bd187..2f2b3aed98ef 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/lib.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/lib.rs
@@ -456,19 +456,15 @@ impl Build {
             .expect("failed to read src/version");
         let version = version.trim();
 
-        let bootstrap_out = if std::env::var("BOOTSTRAP_PYTHON").is_ok() {
-            out.join("bootstrap").join("debug")
-        } else {
-            let workspace_target_dir = std::env::var("CARGO_TARGET_DIR")
-                .map(PathBuf::from)
-                .unwrap_or_else(|_| src.join("target"));
-            let bootstrap_out = workspace_target_dir.join("debug");
-            if !bootstrap_out.join("rustc").exists() && !cfg!(test) {
-                // this restriction can be lifted whenever https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3028 is implemented
-                panic!("run `cargo build --bins` before `cargo run`")
-            }
-            bootstrap_out
-        };
+        let bootstrap_out = std::env::current_exe()
+            .expect("could not determine path to running process")
+            .parent()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_path_buf();
+        if !bootstrap_out.join("rustc").exists() && !cfg!(test) {
+            // this restriction can be lifted whenever https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3028 is implemented
+            panic!("run `cargo build --bins` before `cargo run`")
+        }
 
         let mut build = Build {
             initial_rustc: config.initial_rustc.clone(),