diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 7958ac9bfcfe3..aa888c30f5421 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1327,97 +1327,101 @@ then
     fi
 fi
 
-step_msg "making directories"
+if [ -z "$CFG_ENABLE_RUSTBUILD" ]; then
 
-for i in \
-    doc doc/std doc/extra \
-    dl tmp dist
-do
-    make_dir $i
-done
+  step_msg "making directories"
 
-for t in $CFG_HOST
-do
-    make_dir $t/llvm
-done
+  for i in \
+      doc doc/std doc/extra \
+      dl tmp dist
+  do
+      make_dir $i
+  done
 
-for t in $CFG_HOST
-do
-    make_dir $t/rustllvm
-done
+  for t in $CFG_HOST
+  do
+      make_dir $t/llvm
+  done
 
-for t in $CFG_TARGET
-do
-  make_dir $t/rt
-  for s in 0 1 2 3
+  for t in $CFG_HOST
   do
-    make_dir $t/rt/stage$s
-    make_dir $t/rt/jemalloc
-    make_dir $t/rt/compiler-rt
-    for i in                                          \
-      isaac sync test \
-      arch/i386 arch/x86_64 arch/arm arch/aarch64 arch/mips arch/powerpc
-    do
-      make_dir $t/rt/stage$s/$i
-    done
+      make_dir $t/rustllvm
   done
-done
 
-for h in $CFG_HOST
-do
-    for t in $CFG_TARGET
+  for t in $CFG_TARGET
+  do
+    make_dir $t/rt
+    for s in 0 1 2 3
     do
-        # host bin dir stage0
-        make_dir $h/stage0/bin
-
-        # host lib dir stage0
-        make_dir $h/stage0/lib
-
-        # host test dir stage0
-        make_dir $h/stage0/test
-
-        # target bin dir stage0
-        make_dir $h/stage0/lib/rustlib/$t/bin
-
-        # target lib dir stage0
-        make_dir $h/stage0/lib/rustlib/$t/lib
-
-        for i in 1 2 3
-        do
-            # host bin dir
-            make_dir $h/stage$i/bin
-
-            # host lib dir
-            make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR_RELATIVE
-
-            # host test dir
-            make_dir $h/stage$i/test
-
-            # target bin dir
-            make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR_RELATIVE/rustlib/$t/bin
-
-            # target lib dir
-            make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR_RELATIVE/rustlib/$t/lib
-        done
+      make_dir $t/rt/stage$s
+      make_dir $t/rt/jemalloc
+      make_dir $t/rt/compiler-rt
+      for i in                                          \
+        isaac sync test \
+        arch/i386 arch/x86_64 arch/arm arch/aarch64 arch/mips arch/powerpc
+      do
+        make_dir $t/rt/stage$s/$i
+      done
     done
+  done
 
-    make_dir $h/test/run-pass
-    make_dir $h/test/run-pass-valgrind
-    make_dir $h/test/run-pass-fulldeps
-    make_dir $h/test/run-fail
-    make_dir $h/test/run-fail-fulldeps
-    make_dir $h/test/compile-fail
-    make_dir $h/test/parse-fail
-    make_dir $h/test/compile-fail-fulldeps
-    make_dir $h/test/bench
-    make_dir $h/test/perf
-    make_dir $h/test/pretty
-    make_dir $h/test/debuginfo-gdb
-    make_dir $h/test/debuginfo-lldb
-    make_dir $h/test/codegen
-    make_dir $h/test/codegen-units
-    make_dir $h/test/rustdoc
-done
+  for h in $CFG_HOST
+  do
+      for t in $CFG_TARGET
+      do
+          # host bin dir stage0
+          make_dir $h/stage0/bin
+
+          # host lib dir stage0
+          make_dir $h/stage0/lib
+
+          # host test dir stage0
+          make_dir $h/stage0/test
+
+          # target bin dir stage0
+          make_dir $h/stage0/lib/rustlib/$t/bin
+
+          # target lib dir stage0
+          make_dir $h/stage0/lib/rustlib/$t/lib
+
+          for i in 1 2 3
+          do
+              # host bin dir
+              make_dir $h/stage$i/bin
+
+              # host lib dir
+              make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR_RELATIVE
+
+              # host test dir
+              make_dir $h/stage$i/test
+
+              # target bin dir
+              make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR_RELATIVE/rustlib/$t/bin
+
+              # target lib dir
+              make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR_RELATIVE/rustlib/$t/lib
+          done
+      done
+
+      make_dir $h/test/run-pass
+      make_dir $h/test/run-pass-valgrind
+      make_dir $h/test/run-pass-fulldeps
+      make_dir $h/test/run-fail
+      make_dir $h/test/run-fail-fulldeps
+      make_dir $h/test/compile-fail
+      make_dir $h/test/parse-fail
+      make_dir $h/test/compile-fail-fulldeps
+      make_dir $h/test/bench
+      make_dir $h/test/perf
+      make_dir $h/test/pretty
+      make_dir $h/test/debuginfo-gdb
+      make_dir $h/test/debuginfo-lldb
+      make_dir $h/test/codegen
+      make_dir $h/test/codegen-units
+      make_dir $h/test/rustdoc
+  done
+
+fi
 
 # Configure submodules
 step_msg "configuring submodules"
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/build/mod.rs b/src/bootstrap/build/mod.rs
index 6f962aae92334..55741921d754b 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/build/mod.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/build/mod.rs
@@ -155,24 +155,25 @@ impl Build {
         if fs::metadata(self.src.join(".git")).is_err() {
             return
         }
-        let out = output(Command::new("git").arg("submodule").arg("status"));
+        let git_submodule = || {
+            let mut cmd = Command::new("git");
+            cmd.current_dir(&self.src).arg("submodule");
+            return cmd
+        };
+        let out = output(git_submodule().arg("status"));
         if !out.lines().any(|l| l.starts_with("+") || l.starts_with("-")) {
             return
         }
 
-        self.run(Command::new("git").arg("submodule").arg("sync"));
-        self.run(Command::new("git").arg("submodule").arg("init"));
-        self.run(Command::new("git").arg("submodule").arg("update"));
-        self.run(Command::new("git").arg("submodule").arg("update")
-                                    .arg("--recursive"));
-        self.run(Command::new("git").arg("submodule").arg("status")
-                                    .arg("--recursive"));
-        self.run(Command::new("git").arg("submodule").arg("foreach")
-                                    .arg("--recursive")
-                                    .arg("git").arg("clean").arg("-fdx"));
-        self.run(Command::new("git").arg("submodule").arg("foreach")
-                                    .arg("--recursive")
-                                    .arg("git").arg("checkout").arg("."));
+        self.run(git_submodule().arg("sync"));
+        self.run(git_submodule().arg("init"));
+        self.run(git_submodule().arg("update"));
+        self.run(git_submodule().arg("update").arg("--recursive"));
+        self.run(git_submodule().arg("status").arg("--recursive"));
+        self.run(git_submodule().arg("foreach").arg("--recursive")
+                                .arg("git").arg("clean").arg("-fdx"));
+        self.run(git_submodule().arg("foreach").arg("--recursive")
+                                .arg("git").arg("checkout").arg("."));
     }
 
     /// Clear out `dir` if our build has been flagged as dirty, and also set