diff --git a/src/bootstrap/mk/Makefile.in b/src/bootstrap/mk/Makefile.in
index 3fa2b3c2292..92c8f5dc452 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/mk/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/bootstrap/mk/Makefile.in
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ install:
 tidy:
 	$(Q)$(BOOTSTRAP) test --stage 2 src/tools/tidy $(BOOTSTRAP_ARGS)
 prepare:
-	$(Q)$(BOOTSTRAP) build --stage 2 nonexistent/path/to/trigger/cargo/metadata
+	$(Q)$(BOOTSTRAP) build --stage 2 --dry-run
 
 ## MSVC native builders
 
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
index 4ed2c72fd55..0dfa0442ec1 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
@@ -596,15 +596,6 @@ impl Build {
             _ => (),
         }
 
-        {
-            let builder = builder::Builder::new(self);
-            if let Some(path) = builder.paths.first() {
-                if path == Path::new("nonexistent/path/to/trigger/cargo/metadata") {
-                    return;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
         if !self.config.dry_run() {
             {
                 // We first do a dry-run. This is a sanity-check to ensure that