diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
index 9c99c5bf7b399..6dc2ba60e5257 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
@@ -619,6 +619,12 @@ impl LinkSelfContained {
             _ => "crt-objects-fallback",
         }
     }
+
+    /// Creates a `LinkSelfContained` enabling the self-contained linker for target specs (the
+    /// equivalent of `-Clink-self-contained=+linker` on the CLI).
+    pub(crate) fn with_linker() -> LinkSelfContained {
+        LinkSelfContained::WithComponents(LinkSelfContainedComponents::LINKER)
+    }
 }
 
 impl From<LinkSelfContainedDefault> for LinkSelfContained {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_unknown_linux_gnu.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_unknown_linux_gnu.rs
index 2f970f87cc642..bdfd1c2a4a102 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_unknown_linux_gnu.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_unknown_linux_gnu.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use crate::spec::LinkSelfContained;
 use crate::spec::{Cc, LinkerFlavor, Lld, SanitizerSet, StackProbeType, Target};
 
 pub fn target() -> Target {
@@ -5,6 +6,8 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
     base.cpu = "x86-64".into();
     base.plt_by_default = false;
     base.max_atomic_width = Some(64);
+    base.linker_flavor = LinkerFlavor::Gnu(Cc::Yes, Lld::Yes);
+    base.link_self_contained = LinkSelfContained::with_linker();
     base.add_pre_link_args(LinkerFlavor::Gnu(Cc::Yes, Lld::No), &["-m64"]);
     base.stack_probes = StackProbeType::X86;
     base.static_position_independent_executables = true;