diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/aarch64_unknown_none.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/aarch64_unknown_none.rs
index c9f622820dea..de92b167f00e 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/aarch64_unknown_none.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/aarch64_unknown_none.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
         executables: true,
         relocation_model: RelocModel::Static,
         disable_redzone: true,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         max_atomic_width: Some(128),
         panic_strategy: PanicStrategy::Abort,
         unsupported_abis: super::arm_base::unsupported_abis(),
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/aarch64_unknown_none_softfloat.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/aarch64_unknown_none_softfloat.rs
index 0811871c993a..2566eeae14a6 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/aarch64_unknown_none_softfloat.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/aarch64_unknown_none_softfloat.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
         executables: true,
         relocation_model: RelocModel::Static,
         disable_redzone: true,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         max_atomic_width: Some(128),
         panic_strategy: PanicStrategy::Abort,
         unsupported_abis: super::arm_base::unsupported_abis(),
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/apple_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/apple_base.rs
index bc2ec6709011..45c5c1a16e9c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/apple_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/apple_base.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ pub fn opts(os: &str) -> TargetOptions {
         // macOS has -dead_strip, which doesn't rely on function_sections
         function_sections: false,
         dynamic_linking: true,
+        linker_is_gnu: false,
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
         is_like_osx: true,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/avr_gnu_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/avr_gnu_base.rs
index 69ccce875ab0..2cb2661a5265 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/avr_gnu_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/avr_gnu_base.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ pub fn target(target_cpu: String) -> Target {
 
             linker: Some("avr-gcc".to_owned()),
             executables: true,
-            linker_is_gnu: true,
             eh_frame_header: false,
             pre_link_args: vec![(LinkerFlavor::Gcc, vec![format!("-mmcu={}", target_cpu)])]
                 .into_iter()
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/dragonfly_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/dragonfly_base.rs
index fb94498c131f..e13a640d4d21 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/dragonfly_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/dragonfly_base.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         dynamic_linking: true,
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         has_rpath: true,
         position_independent_executables: true,
         relro_level: RelroLevel::Full,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/freebsd_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/freebsd_base.rs
index 5d3c28e5f29c..bef2fce7c839 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/freebsd_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/freebsd_base.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         dynamic_linking: true,
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         has_rpath: true,
         position_independent_executables: true,
         eliminate_frame_pointer: false, // FIXME 43575
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/fuchsia_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/fuchsia_base.rs
index 13264dffeb4e..23a2e65749e1 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/fuchsia_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/fuchsia_base.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
         is_like_fuchsia: true,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         pre_link_args,
         pre_link_objects: crt_objects::new(&[
             (LinkOutputKind::DynamicNoPicExe, &["Scrt1.o"]),
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/haiku_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/haiku_base.rs
index fae56f6a82dc..2b95523d6f7b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/haiku_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/haiku_base.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
         relro_level: RelroLevel::Full,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         ..Default::default()
     }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/hermit_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/hermit_base.rs
index ad013047e6a1..75ca1f79b12c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/hermit_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/hermit_base.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         linker: Some("rust-lld".to_owned()),
         executables: true,
         has_elf_tls: true,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         pre_link_args,
         panic_strategy: PanicStrategy::Abort,
         position_independent_executables: true,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/hermit_kernel_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/hermit_kernel_base.rs
index 6d18a14d6aec..c55a46e69a83 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/hermit_kernel_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/hermit_kernel_base.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         linker: Some("rust-lld".to_owned()),
         executables: true,
         has_elf_tls: true,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         pre_link_args,
         panic_strategy: PanicStrategy::Abort,
         position_independent_executables: true,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/illumos_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/illumos_base.rs
index 2b8e046c46b0..9d9da50be7a2 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/illumos_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/illumos_base.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         has_rpath: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
         is_like_solaris: true,
+        linker_is_gnu: false,
         limit_rdylib_exports: false, // Linker doesn't support this
         eliminate_frame_pointer: false,
         eh_frame_header: false,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/l4re_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/l4re_base.rs
index 65c343a5f216..f6e3102f6176 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/l4re_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/l4re_base.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         executables: true,
         panic_strategy: PanicStrategy::Abort,
         linker: Some("ld".to_string()),
+        linker_is_gnu: false,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
         ..Default::default()
     }
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/linux_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/linux_base.rs
index 184659e22d98..af81bc714c74 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/linux_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/linux_base.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         dynamic_linking: true,
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         has_rpath: true,
         position_independent_executables: true,
         relro_level: RelroLevel::Full,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/linux_kernel_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/linux_kernel_base.rs
index 64f47b4aa9bb..145aa4a58944 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/linux_kernel_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/linux_kernel_base.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         // don't use probe-stack=inline-asm until rust#83139 and rust#84667 are resolved
         stack_probes: StackProbeType::Call,
         eliminate_frame_pointer: false,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         position_independent_executables: true,
         needs_plt: true,
         relro_level: RelroLevel::Full,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mipsel_sony_psp.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mipsel_sony_psp.rs
index 08c290e6ff15..dc14e4bdf942 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mipsel_sony_psp.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mipsel_sony_psp.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
             cpu: "mips2".to_string(),
             executables: true,
             linker: Some("rust-lld".to_owned()),
-            linker_is_gnu: true,
             relocation_model: RelocModel::Static,
 
             // PSP FPU only supports single precision floats.
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
index 4bffd6e8ddd3..f1bd8ff237d0 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
@@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ pub struct TargetOptions {
     /// Version of DWARF to use if not using the default.
     /// Useful because some platforms (osx, bsd) only want up to DWARF2.
     pub dwarf_version: Option<u32>,
-    /// Whether the linker support GNU-like arguments such as -O. Defaults to false.
+    /// Whether the linker support GNU-like arguments such as -O. Defaults to true.
     pub linker_is_gnu: bool,
     /// The MinGW toolchain has a known issue that prevents it from correctly
     /// handling COFF object files with more than 2<sup>15</sup> sections. Since each weak
@@ -1307,7 +1307,7 @@ impl Default for TargetOptions {
             is_like_fuchsia: false,
             is_like_wasm: false,
             dwarf_version: None,
-            linker_is_gnu: false,
+            linker_is_gnu: true,
             allows_weak_linkage: true,
             has_rpath: false,
             no_default_libraries: true,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/msvc_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/msvc_base.rs
index 4ed7685ca077..f1ed4c154d27 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/msvc_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/msvc_base.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         is_like_windows: true,
         is_like_msvc: true,
         lld_flavor: LldFlavor::Link,
+        linker_is_gnu: false,
         pre_link_args,
         abi_return_struct_as_int: true,
         emit_debug_gdb_scripts: false,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/netbsd_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/netbsd_base.rs
index 602fb6eb6413..6bb6083d47c5 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/netbsd_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/netbsd_base.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         dynamic_linking: true,
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         no_default_libraries: false,
         has_rpath: true,
         position_independent_executables: true,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/nvptx64_nvidia_cuda.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/nvptx64_nvidia_cuda.rs
index 15d8e4843f97..97960a75b095 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/nvptx64_nvidia_cuda.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/nvptx64_nvidia_cuda.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
             linker_flavor: LinkerFlavor::PtxLinker,
             // The linker can be installed from `crates.io`.
             linker: Some("rust-ptx-linker".to_string()),
+            linker_is_gnu: false,
 
             // With `ptx-linker` approach, it can be later overridden via link flags.
             cpu: "sm_30".to_string(),
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/openbsd_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/openbsd_base.rs
index 8f33bacd9228..29b415e77266 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/openbsd_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/openbsd_base.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         dynamic_linking: true,
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         has_rpath: true,
         abi_return_struct_as_int: true,
         position_independent_executables: true,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/redox_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/redox_base.rs
index 72052b9e2e2e..fcf5db3746d2 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/redox_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/redox_base.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         dynamic_linking: true,
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         has_rpath: true,
         position_independent_executables: true,
         relro_level: RelroLevel::Full,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/solaris_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/solaris_base.rs
index 4c922eb5cea5..bc32b5016888 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/solaris_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/solaris_base.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         has_rpath: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
         is_like_solaris: true,
+        linker_is_gnu: false,
         limit_rdylib_exports: false, // Linker doesn't support this
         eh_frame_header: false,
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/thumbv4t_none_eabi.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/thumbv4t_none_eabi.rs
index ef58824f3810..f996009f8306 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/thumbv4t_none_eabi.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/thumbv4t_none_eabi.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
         options: TargetOptions {
             linker_flavor: LinkerFlavor::Ld,
             linker: Some("arm-none-eabi-ld".to_string()),
-            linker_is_gnu: true,
 
             // extra args passed to the external assembler (assuming `arm-none-eabi-as`):
             // * activate t32/a32 interworking
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/vxworks_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/vxworks_base.rs
index 0e8e87f2dff5..a91e77178655 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/vxworks_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/vxworks_base.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         dynamic_linking: true,
         executables: true,
         families: vec!["unix".to_string()],
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         has_rpath: true,
         has_elf_tls: true,
         crt_static_default: true,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/wasm32_unknown_emscripten.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/wasm32_unknown_emscripten.rs
index ddf28b423f0d..302139395d31 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/wasm32_unknown_emscripten.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/wasm32_unknown_emscripten.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
         // functionality, and a .wasm file.
         exe_suffix: ".js".to_string(),
         linker: None,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         is_like_emscripten: true,
         panic_strategy: PanicStrategy::Unwind,
         post_link_args,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/windows_gnu_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/windows_gnu_base.rs
index 5808391ee065..35a52896f6fa 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/windows_gnu_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/windows_gnu_base.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ pub fn opts() -> TargetOptions {
         // FIXME(#13846) this should be enabled for windows
         function_sections: false,
         linker: Some("gcc".to_string()),
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         dynamic_linking: true,
         executables: true,
         dll_prefix: String::new(),
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_fortanix_unknown_sgx.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_fortanix_unknown_sgx.rs
index 90705c526f4b..06eb33d8d82e 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_fortanix_unknown_sgx.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_fortanix_unknown_sgx.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
         vendor: "fortanix".into(),
         linker_flavor: LinkerFlavor::Lld(LldFlavor::Ld),
         executables: true,
-        linker_is_gnu: true,
         linker: Some("rust-lld".to_owned()),
         max_atomic_width: Some(64),
         cpu: "x86-64".into(),