diff --git a/src/bootstrap/tool.rs b/src/bootstrap/tool.rs
index 15a329a5b91..df7eb7c455d 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/tool.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/tool.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use build_helper::t;
 use crate::Mode;
 use crate::Compiler;
 use crate::builder::{Step, RunConfig, ShouldRun, Builder};
-use crate::util::{exe, add_lib_path};
+use crate::util::{exe, add_lib_path, CiEnv};
 use crate::compile;
 use crate::channel::GitInfo;
 use crate::channel;
@@ -279,11 +279,26 @@ pub fn prepare_tool_cargo(
     cargo
 }
 
+fn rustbook_features() -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut features = Vec::new();
+
+    // Due to CI budged and risk of spurious failures we want to limit jobs running this check.
+    // At same time local builds should run it regardless of the platform.
+    // `CiEnv::None` means it's local build and `CHECK_LINKS` is defined in x86_64-gnu-tools to
+    // explicitly enable it on single job
+    if CiEnv::current() == CiEnv::None || env::var("CHECK_LINKS").is_ok() {
+        features.push("linkcheck".to_string());
+    }
+
+    features
+}
+
 macro_rules! bootstrap_tool {
     ($(
         $name:ident, $path:expr, $tool_name:expr
         $(,llvm_tools = $llvm:expr)*
         $(,is_external_tool = $external:expr)*
+        $(,features = $features:expr)*
         ;
     )+) => {
         #[derive(Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Clone)]
@@ -350,7 +365,12 @@ macro_rules! bootstrap_tool {
                     } else {
                         SourceType::InTree
                     },
-                    extra_features: Vec::new(),
+                    extra_features: {
+                        // FIXME(#60643): avoid this lint by using `_`
+                        let mut _tmp = Vec::new();
+                        $(_tmp.extend($features);)*
+                        _tmp
+                    },
                 }).expect("expected to build -- essential tool")
             }
         }
@@ -359,7 +379,7 @@ macro_rules! bootstrap_tool {
 }
 
 bootstrap_tool!(
-    Rustbook, "src/tools/rustbook", "rustbook";
+    Rustbook, "src/tools/rustbook", "rustbook", features = rustbook_features();
     UnstableBookGen, "src/tools/unstable-book-gen", "unstable-book-gen";
     Tidy, "src/tools/tidy", "tidy";
     Linkchecker, "src/tools/linkchecker", "linkchecker";
diff --git a/src/ci/docker/x86_64-gnu-tools/Dockerfile b/src/ci/docker/x86_64-gnu-tools/Dockerfile
index f11ae7a34cb..8035195c6ed 100644
--- a/src/ci/docker/x86_64-gnu-tools/Dockerfile
+++ b/src/ci/docker/x86_64-gnu-tools/Dockerfile
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ COPY x86_64-gnu-tools/checkregression.py /tmp/
 COPY x86_64-gnu-tools/checktools.sh /tmp/
 COPY x86_64-gnu-tools/repo.sh /tmp/
 
+# Run rustbook with `linkcheck` feature enabled
+ENV CHECK_LINKS 1
+
 ENV RUST_CONFIGURE_ARGS \
   --build=x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu \
   --save-toolstates=/tmp/toolstates.json
diff --git a/src/tools/rustbook/Cargo.toml b/src/tools/rustbook/Cargo.toml
index bb10d06851b..a7188f0d11e 100644
--- a/src/tools/rustbook/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/tools/rustbook/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,14 +5,15 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
 edition = "2018"
 
+[features]
+linkcheck = ["mdbook-linkcheck"]
+
 [dependencies]
 clap = "2.25.0"
 failure = "0.1"
+mdbook-linkcheck = { version = "0.3.0", optional = true }
 
 [dependencies.mdbook]
 version = "0.3.0"
 default-features = false
 features = ["search"]
-
-[target.'cfg(all(target_arch = "x86_64", target_os = "linux"))'.dependencies]
-mdbook-linkcheck = "0.3.0"
diff --git a/src/tools/rustbook/src/main.rs b/src/tools/rustbook/src/main.rs
index 6bce7c3a978..95530b210af 100644
--- a/src/tools/rustbook/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/tools/rustbook/src/main.rs
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@ use clap::{App, ArgMatches, SubCommand, AppSettings};
 use mdbook::MDBook;
 use mdbook::errors::{Result as Result3};
 
-#[cfg(all(target_arch = "x86_64", target_os = "linux"))]
+#[cfg(feature = "linkcheck")]
 use mdbook::renderer::RenderContext;
-
-#[cfg(all(target_arch = "x86_64", target_os = "linux"))]
+#[cfg(feature = "linkcheck")]
 use mdbook_linkcheck::{self, errors::BrokenLinks};
 use failure::Error;
 
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ fn main() {
             if let Err(err) = linkcheck(sub_matches) {
                 eprintln!("Error: {}", err);
 
-                #[cfg(all(target_arch = "x86_64", target_os = "linux"))]
+                #[cfg(feature = "linkcheck")]
                 {
                     if let Ok(broken_links) = err.downcast::<BrokenLinks>() {
                         for cause in broken_links.links().iter() {
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ fn main() {
     };
 }
 
-#[cfg(all(target_arch = "x86_64", target_os = "linux"))]
+#[cfg(feature = "linkcheck")]
 pub fn linkcheck(args: &ArgMatches<'_>) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let book_dir = get_book_dir(args);
     let book = MDBook::load(&book_dir).unwrap();
@@ -78,9 +77,9 @@ pub fn linkcheck(args: &ArgMatches<'_>) -> Result<(), Error> {
     mdbook_linkcheck::check_links(&render_ctx)
 }
 
-#[cfg(not(all(target_arch = "x86_64", target_os = "linux")))]
+#[cfg(not(feature = "linkcheck"))]
 pub fn linkcheck(_args: &ArgMatches<'_>) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    println!("mdbook-linkcheck only works on x86_64 linux targets.");
+    println!("mdbook-linkcheck is disabled.");
     Ok(())
 }