diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/main.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/main.go
index cbd811846b6..68dee185987 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/main.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/main.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func Main(arch *sys.Arch, theArch Arch) {
 	}
 
 	final := gorootFinal()
-	addstrdata1(ctxt, "runtime/internal/sys.DefaultGoroot="+final)
+	addstrdata1(ctxt, "runtime.defaultGOROOT="+final)
 	addstrdata1(ctxt, "cmd/internal/objabi.defaultGOROOT="+final)
 
 	// TODO(matloob): define these above and then check flag values here
diff --git a/src/runtime/extern.go b/src/runtime/extern.go
index dacdf4f3830..bbe41dd0d43 100644
--- a/src/runtime/extern.go
+++ b/src/runtime/extern.go
@@ -229,6 +229,8 @@ func Callers(skip int, pc []uintptr) int {
 	return callers(skip, pc)
 }
 
+var defaultGOROOT string // set by cmd/link
+
 // GOROOT returns the root of the Go tree. It uses the
 // GOROOT environment variable, if set at process start,
 // or else the root used during the Go build.
@@ -237,7 +239,7 @@ func GOROOT() string {
 	if s != "" {
 		return s
 	}
-	return sys.DefaultGoroot
+	return defaultGOROOT
 }
 
 // Version returns the Go tree's version string.
diff --git a/src/runtime/internal/sys/arch.go b/src/runtime/internal/sys/arch.go
index 69278bf2d5e..3c99a2f7da0 100644
--- a/src/runtime/internal/sys/arch.go
+++ b/src/runtime/internal/sys/arch.go
@@ -52,7 +52,3 @@ const MinFrameSize = _MinFrameSize
 // StackAlign is the required alignment of the SP register.
 // The stack must be at least word aligned, but some architectures require more.
 const StackAlign = _StackAlign
-
-// DefaultGoroot is set by the linker for use by package runtime.
-// It doesn't really belong in this file or this package.
-var DefaultGoroot string