diff --git a/lib/std/zig/system.zig b/lib/std/zig/system.zig
index 4d671efe94..c5c62911cc 100644
--- a/lib/std/zig/system.zig
+++ b/lib/std/zig/system.zig
@@ -13,12 +13,10 @@ const assert = std.debug.assert;
 const process = std.process;
 const Target = std.Target;
 const CrossTarget = std.zig.CrossTarget;
-const macos = @import("system/macos.zig");
 const native_endian = std.Target.current.cpu.arch.endian();
 const linux = @import("system/linux.zig");
 pub const windows = @import("system/windows.zig");
-
-pub const getSDKPath = macos.getSDKPath;
+pub const darwin = @import("system/darwin.zig");
 
 pub const NativePaths = struct {
     include_dirs: ArrayList([:0]u8),
@@ -255,7 +253,7 @@ pub const NativeTargetInfo = struct {
                     os.version_range.windows.min = detected_version;
                     os.version_range.windows.max = detected_version;
                 },
-                .macos => try macos.detect(&os),
+                .macos => try darwin.macos.detect(&os),
                 .freebsd, .netbsd, .dragonfly => {
                     const key = switch (Target.current.os.tag) {
                         .freebsd => "kern.osreldate",
@@ -972,7 +970,7 @@ pub const NativeTargetInfo = struct {
 
         switch (std.Target.current.os.tag) {
             .linux => return linux.detectNativeCpuAndFeatures(),
-            .macos => return macos.detectNativeCpuAndFeatures(),
+            .macos => return darwin.macos.detectNativeCpuAndFeatures(),
             else => {},
         }
 
@@ -983,6 +981,6 @@ pub const NativeTargetInfo = struct {
 };
 
 test {
-    _ = @import("system/macos.zig");
+    _ = @import("system/darwin.zig");
     _ = @import("system/linux.zig");
 }
diff --git a/lib/std/zig/system/darwin.zig b/lib/std/zig/system/darwin.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1e8d9e4b48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/std/zig/system/darwin.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+// Copyright (c) 2015-2021 Zig Contributors
+// This file is part of [zig](https://ziglang.org/), which is MIT licensed.
+// The MIT license requires this copyright notice to be included in all copies
+// and substantial portions of the software.
+const std = @import("std");
+const mem = std.mem;
+const Allocator = mem.Allocator;
+const Target = std.Target;
+
+pub const macos = @import("darwin/macos.zig");
+
+/// Detect SDK path on Darwin.
+/// Calls `xcrun --sdk <target_sdk> --show-sdk-path` which result can be used to specify
+/// `--sysroot` of the compiler.
+/// The caller needs to free the resulting path slice.
+pub fn getSDKPath(allocator: *Allocator, target: Target) !?[]u8 {
+    const is_simulator_abi = target.abi == .simulator;
+    const sdk = switch (target.os.tag) {
+        .macos => "macosx",
+        .ios => if (is_simulator_abi) "iphonesimulator" else "iphoneos",
+        .watchos => if (is_simulator_abi) "watchsimulator" else "watchos",
+        .tvos => if (is_simulator_abi) "appletvsimulator" else "appletvos",
+        else => return null,
+    };
+
+    const argv = &[_][]const u8{ "xcrun", "--sdk", sdk, "--show-sdk-path" };
+    const result = try std.ChildProcess.exec(.{ .allocator = allocator, .argv = argv });
+    defer {
+        allocator.free(result.stderr);
+        allocator.free(result.stdout);
+    }
+    if (result.stderr.len != 0 or result.term.Exited != 0) {
+        // We don't actually care if there were errors as this is best-effort check anyhow
+        // and in the worst case the user can specify the sysroot manually.
+        return null;
+    }
+    const sysroot = try allocator.dupe(u8, mem.trimRight(u8, result.stdout, "\r\n"));
+    return sysroot;
+}
+
+test "" {
+    _ = @import("darwin/macos.zig");
+}
diff --git a/lib/std/zig/system/macos.zig b/lib/std/zig/system/darwin/macos.zig
similarity index 94%
rename from lib/std/zig/system/macos.zig
rename to lib/std/zig/system/darwin/macos.zig
index ae450ecae5..c8f48800c5 100644
--- a/lib/std/zig/system/macos.zig
+++ b/lib/std/zig/system/darwin/macos.zig
@@ -408,28 +408,6 @@ fn testVersionEquality(expected: std.builtin.Version, got: std.builtin.Version)
     try testing.expectEqualStrings(s_expected, s_got);
 }
 
-/// Detect SDK path on Darwin.
-/// Calls `xcrun --show-sdk-path` which result can be used to specify
-/// `-syslibroot` param of the linker.
-/// The caller needs to free the resulting path slice.
-pub fn getSDKPath(allocator: *mem.Allocator) ![]u8 {
-    assert(Target.current.isDarwin());
-    const argv = &[_][]const u8{ "xcrun", "--show-sdk-path" };
-    const result = try std.ChildProcess.exec(.{ .allocator = allocator, .argv = argv });
-    defer {
-        allocator.free(result.stderr);
-        allocator.free(result.stdout);
-    }
-    if (result.stderr.len != 0) {
-        std.log.err("unexpected 'xcrun --show-sdk-path' stderr: {s}", .{result.stderr});
-    }
-    if (result.term.Exited != 0) {
-        return error.ProcessTerminated;
-    }
-    const syslibroot = mem.trimRight(u8, result.stdout, "\r\n");
-    return mem.dupe(allocator, u8, syslibroot);
-}
-
 pub fn detectNativeCpuAndFeatures() ?Target.Cpu {
     var cpu_family: os.CPUFAMILY = undefined;
     var len: usize = @sizeOf(os.CPUFAMILY);
diff --git a/src/Compilation.zig b/src/Compilation.zig
index 24e2d9e67f..7987ed95df 100644
--- a/src/Compilation.zig
+++ b/src/Compilation.zig
@@ -944,8 +944,7 @@ pub fn create(gpa: *Allocator, options: InitOptions) !*Compilation {
             if (options.sysroot) |sysroot| {
                 break :blk sysroot;
             } else if (darwin_can_use_system_sdk) {
-                const at_least_big_sur = options.target.os.getVersionRange().semver.min.major >= 11;
-                break :blk if (at_least_big_sur) try std.zig.system.getSDKPath(arena) else null;
+                break :blk try std.zig.system.darwin.getSDKPath(arena, options.target);
             } else {
                 break :blk null;
             }
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 73c4560ddf..285b6d2316 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -1678,7 +1678,9 @@ fn buildOutputType(
             want_native_include_dirs = true;
     }
 
-    if (sysroot == null and cross_target.isNativeOs() and
+    const is_darwin_on_darwin = (comptime std.Target.current.isDarwin()) and cross_target.isDarwin();
+
+    if (sysroot == null and (cross_target.isNativeOs() or is_darwin_on_darwin) and
         (system_libs.items.len != 0 or want_native_include_dirs))
     {
         const paths = std.zig.system.NativePaths.detect(arena, target_info) catch |err| {
@@ -1689,16 +1691,18 @@ fn buildOutputType(
         }
 
         const has_sysroot = if (comptime std.Target.current.isDarwin()) outer: {
-            const min = target_info.target.os.getVersionRange().semver.min;
-            const at_least_mojave = min.major >= 11 or (min.major >= 10 and min.minor >= 14);
-            if (at_least_mojave) {
-                const sdk_path = try std.zig.system.getSDKPath(arena);
+            const should_get_sdk_path = if (cross_target.isNativeOs() and target_info.target.os.tag == .macos) inner: {
+                const min = target_info.target.os.getVersionRange().semver.min;
+                const at_least_mojave = min.major >= 11 or (min.major >= 10 and min.minor >= 14);
+                break :inner at_least_mojave;
+            } else true;
+            if (!should_get_sdk_path) break :outer false;
+            if (try std.zig.system.darwin.getSDKPath(arena, target_info.target)) |sdk_path| {
                 try clang_argv.ensureCapacity(clang_argv.items.len + 2);
                 clang_argv.appendAssumeCapacity("-isysroot");
                 clang_argv.appendAssumeCapacity(sdk_path);
                 break :outer true;
-            }
-            break :outer false;
+            } else break :outer false;
         } else false;
 
         try clang_argv.ensureCapacity(clang_argv.items.len + paths.include_dirs.items.len * 2);