diff --git a/builtins.go b/builtins.go
index 75b6592a..8ac127f7 100644
--- a/builtins.go
+++ b/builtins.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -192,13 +191,13 @@ func loadBuiltins(target string) (path string, err error) {
 		srcs[i] = filepath.Join(builtinsDir, name)
 	}
 
-	if path, err := cacheLoad(outfile, commands["clang"], srcs); path != "" || err != nil {
+	if path, err := cacheLoad(outfile, commands["clang"][0], srcs); path != "" || err != nil {
 		return path, err
 	}
 
 	var cachepath string
 	err = compileBuiltins(target, func(path string) error {
-		path, err := cacheStore(path, outfile, commands["clang"], srcs)
+		path, err := cacheStore(path, outfile, commands["clang"][0], srcs)
 		cachepath = path
 		return err
 	})
@@ -240,10 +239,7 @@ func compileBuiltins(target string, callback func(path string) error) error {
 		// Note: -fdebug-prefix-map is necessary to make the output archive
 		// reproducible. Otherwise the temporary directory is stored in the
 		// archive itself, which varies each run.
-		cmd := exec.Command(commands["clang"], "-c", "-Oz", "-g", "-Werror", "-Wall", "-std=c11", "-fshort-enums", "-nostdlibinc", "-ffunction-sections", "-fdata-sections", "--target="+target, "-fdebug-prefix-map="+dir+"="+remapDir, "-o", objpath, srcpath)
-		cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
-		cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-		err = cmd.Run()
+		err := execCommand(commands["clang"], "-c", "-Oz", "-g", "-Werror", "-Wall", "-std=c11", "-fshort-enums", "-nostdlibinc", "-ffunction-sections", "-fdata-sections", "--target="+target, "-fdebug-prefix-map="+dir+"="+remapDir, "-o", objpath, srcpath)
 		if err != nil {
 			return &commandError{"failed to build", srcpath, err}
 		}
diff --git a/commands.go b/commands.go
index a975b5b2..5f7ff8c1 100644
--- a/commands.go
+++ b/commands.go
@@ -1,10 +1,33 @@
-// +build !darwin
-
 package main
 
-// commands used by the compilation process might have different file names on Linux than those used on macOS.
-var commands = map[string]string{
-	"clang":   "clang-8",
-	"ld.lld":  "ld.lld-8",
-	"wasm-ld": "wasm-ld-8",
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// Commands used by the compilation process might have different file names
+// across operating systems and distributions.
+var commands = map[string][]string{
+	"clang":   {"clang-8"},
+	"ld.lld":  {"ld.lld-8", "ld.lld"},
+	"wasm-ld": {"wasm-ld-8", "wasm-ld"},
+}
+
+func execCommand(cmdNames []string, args ...string) error {
+	for _, cmdName := range cmdNames {
+		cmd := exec.Command(cmdName, args...)
+		cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+		cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+		err := cmd.Run()
+		if err != nil {
+			if err, ok := err.(*exec.Error); ok && err.Err == exec.ErrNotFound {
+				// this command was not found, try the next
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	return errors.New("none of these commands were found in your $PATH: " + strings.Join(cmdNames, " "))
 }
diff --git a/commands_macos.go b/commands_macos.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 9ec428ec..00000000
--- a/commands_macos.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-// +build darwin
-
-package main
-
-// commands used by the compilation process might have different file names on macOS than those used on Linux.
-var commands = map[string]string{
-	"clang":   "clang-8",
-	"ld.lld":  "ld.lld",
-	"wasm-ld": "wasm-ld",
-}
diff --git a/linker-builtin.go b/linker-builtin.go
index c8987938..d0a01681 100644
--- a/linker-builtin.go
+++ b/linker-builtin.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import "C"
 // This version uses the built-in linker when trying to use lld.
 func Link(linker string, flags ...string) error {
 	switch linker {
-	case "ld.lld", commands["ld.lld"]:
+	case "ld.lld":
 		flags = append([]string{"tinygo:" + linker}, flags...)
 		var cflag *C.char
 		buf := C.calloc(C.size_t(len(flags)), C.size_t(unsafe.Sizeof(cflag)))
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func Link(linker string, flags ...string) error {
 			return errors.New("failed to link using built-in ld.lld")
 		}
 		return nil
-	case "wasm-ld", commands["wasm-ld"]:
+	case "wasm-ld":
 		flags = append([]string{"tinygo:" + linker}, flags...)
 		var cflag *C.char
 		buf := C.calloc(C.size_t(len(flags)), C.size_t(unsafe.Sizeof(cflag)))
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ func Link(linker string, flags ...string) error {
 		return nil
 	default:
 		// Fall back to external command.
+		if cmdNames, ok := commands[linker]; ok {
+			return execCommand(cmdNames, flags...)
+		}
 		cmd := exec.Command(linker, flags...)
 		cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
 		cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
diff --git a/linker-external.go b/linker-external.go
index 446b6808..48e4d2ec 100644
--- a/linker-external.go
+++ b/linker-external.go
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ import (
 //
 // This version always runs the linker as an external command.
 func Link(linker string, flags ...string) error {
+	if cmdNames, ok := commands[linker]; ok {
+		return execCommand(cmdNames, flags...)
+	}
 	cmd := exec.Command(linker, flags...)
 	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
 	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index a06825ee..b662d65c 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -222,14 +222,11 @@ func Compile(pkgName, outpath string, spec *TargetSpec, config *BuildConfig, act
 		for i, path := range spec.ExtraFiles {
 			abspath := filepath.Join(root, path)
 			outpath := filepath.Join(dir, "extra-"+strconv.Itoa(i)+"-"+filepath.Base(path)+".o")
-			cmdName := spec.Compiler
-			if name, ok := commands[cmdName]; ok {
-				cmdName = name
+			cmdNames := []string{spec.Compiler}
+			if names, ok := commands[spec.Compiler]; ok {
+				cmdNames = names
 			}
-			cmd := exec.Command(cmdName, append(cflags, "-c", "-o", outpath, abspath)...)
-			cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
-			cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-			err := cmd.Run()
+			err := execCommand(cmdNames, append(cflags, "-c", "-o", outpath, abspath)...)
 			if err != nil {
 				return &commandError{"failed to build", path, err}
 			}
@@ -241,14 +238,11 @@ func Compile(pkgName, outpath string, spec *TargetSpec, config *BuildConfig, act
 			for _, file := range pkg.CFiles {
 				path := filepath.Join(pkg.Package.Dir, file)
 				outpath := filepath.Join(dir, "pkg"+strconv.Itoa(i)+"-"+file+".o")
-				cmdName := spec.Compiler
-				if name, ok := commands[cmdName]; ok {
-					cmdName = name
+				cmdNames := []string{spec.Compiler}
+				if names, ok := commands[spec.Compiler]; ok {
+					cmdNames = names
 				}
-				cmd := exec.Command(cmdName, append(cflags, "-c", "-o", outpath, path)...)
-				cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
-				cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-				err := cmd.Run()
+				err := execCommand(cmdNames, append(cflags, "-c", "-o", outpath, path)...)
 				if err != nil {
 					return &commandError{"failed to build", path, err}
 				}
@@ -257,11 +251,7 @@ func Compile(pkgName, outpath string, spec *TargetSpec, config *BuildConfig, act
 		}
 
 		// Link the object files together.
-		if linker, ok := commands[spec.Linker]; ok {
-			err = Link(linker, ldflags...)
-		} else {
-			err = Link(spec.Linker, ldflags...)
-		}
+		err = Link(spec.Linker, ldflags...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return &commandError{"failed to link", executable, err}
 		}
diff --git a/target.go b/target.go
index 16970215..546883f3 100644
--- a/target.go
+++ b/target.go
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ func defaultTarget(goos, goarch, triple string) (*TargetSpec, error) {
 		GOOS:      goos,
 		GOARCH:    goarch,
 		BuildTags: []string{goos, goarch},
-		Compiler:  commands["clang"],
+		Compiler:  "clang",
 		Linker:    "cc",
 		GDB:       "gdb",
 		GDBCmds:   []string{"run"},