diff --git a/src/cargo/core/compiler/build_context/target_info.rs b/src/cargo/core/compiler/build_context/target_info.rs
index f36fc173bcc0..79ecf5785989 100644
--- a/src/cargo/core/compiler/build_context/target_info.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/core/compiler/build_context/target_info.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ pub struct TargetInfo {
     crate_types: RefCell<HashMap<CrateType, Option<(String, String)>>>,
     /// `cfg` information extracted from `rustc --print=cfg`.
     cfg: Vec<Cfg>,
+    /// `supports_std` information extracted from `rustc --print=target-spec-json`
+    pub supports_std: Option<bool>,
     /// Supported values for `-Csplit-debuginfo=` flag, queried from rustc
     support_split_debuginfo: Vec<String>,
     /// Path to the sysroot.
@@ -56,6 +58,16 @@ pub struct TargetInfo {
     pub rustdocflags: Rc<[String]>,
 }
 
+#[derive(Deserialize)]
+pub struct Metadata {
+    pub std: Option<bool>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Deserialize)]
+pub struct TargetSpec {
+    pub metadata: Metadata,
+}
+
 /// Kind of each file generated by a Unit, part of `FileType`.
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Debug)]
 pub enum FileFlavor {
@@ -294,6 +306,42 @@ impl TargetInfo {
                 gctx.shell().warn("non-trivial mutual dependency between target-specific configuration and RUSTFLAGS")?;
             }
 
+            let mut supports_std: Option<bool> = None;
+
+            // The '--print=target-spec-json' is an unstable option of rustc, therefore only
+            // try to fetch this information if rustc allows nightly features. Additionally,
+            // to avoid making two rustc queries when not required, only try to fetch the
+            // target-spec when the '-Zbuild-std' option is passed.
+            if gctx.nightly_features_allowed && gctx.cli_unstable().build_std.is_some() {
+                let mut target_spec_process = rustc.workspace_process();
+                apply_env_config(gctx, &mut target_spec_process)?;
+                target_spec_process
+                    .arg("--print=target-spec-json")
+                    .arg("-Zunstable-options")
+                    .args(&rustflags)
+                    .env_remove("RUSTC_LOG");
+
+                if let CompileKind::Target(target) = kind {
+                    target_spec_process
+                        .arg("--target")
+                        .arg(target.rustc_target());
+                }
+
+                let target_spec_cached_output =
+                    rustc.cached_output(&target_spec_process, extra_fingerprint);
+
+                if target_spec_cached_output.is_ok() {
+                    let (stdout, _stderr) = target_spec_cached_output.unwrap();
+                    match serde_json::from_str(&stdout) {
+                        Result::Ok(val) => {
+                            let target_spec: TargetSpec = val;
+                            supports_std = target_spec.metadata.std;
+                        }
+                        Result::Err(_) => (),
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
             return Ok(TargetInfo {
                 crate_type_process,
                 crate_types: RefCell::new(map),
@@ -310,6 +358,7 @@ impl TargetInfo {
                 )?
                 .into(),
                 cfg,
+                supports_std,
                 support_split_debuginfo,
             });
         }
@@ -1026,6 +1075,11 @@ impl<'gctx> RustcTargetData<'gctx> {
             CompileKind::Target(s) => &self.target_config[&s],
         }
     }
+
+    /// Gets the target info hashmap from the target data.
+    pub fn target_info(&self) -> &HashMap<CompileTarget, TargetInfo> {
+        &self.target_info
+    }
 }
 
 /// Structure used to deal with Rustdoc fingerprinting
diff --git a/src/cargo/core/compiler/standard_lib.rs b/src/cargo/core/compiler/standard_lib.rs
index a3b2ff8acd19..83a61e8211a3 100644
--- a/src/cargo/core/compiler/standard_lib.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/core/compiler/standard_lib.rs
@@ -72,6 +72,18 @@ pub fn resolve_std<'gctx>(
             .warn("-Zbuild-std does not currently fully support --build-plan")?;
     }
 
+    // check that targets support building std
+    if crates.contains(&"std".to_string()) {
+        for (target, target_info) in target_data.target_info() {
+            if target_info.supports_std == Some(false) {
+                anyhow::bail!(
+                    "building std is not supported on this target: {:?}",
+                    target.short_name()
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     let src_path = detect_sysroot_src_path(target_data)?;
     let std_ws_manifest_path = src_path.join("Cargo.toml");
     let gctx = ws.gctx();