diff --git a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/native_libs.rs b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/native_libs.rs
index ace46891f83da..8bd2281981b4b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/native_libs.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/native_libs.rs
@@ -54,9 +54,13 @@ pub fn walk_native_lib_search_dirs<R>(
     // The targets here should be in sync with `copy_third_party_objects` in bootstrap.
     // FIXME: implement `-Clink-self-contained=+/-unwind,+/-sanitizers`, move the shipped libunwind
     // and sanitizers to self-contained directory, and stop adding this search path.
+    // FIXME: On AIX this also has the side-effect of making the list of library search paths
+    // non-empty, which is needed or the linker may decide to record the LIBPATH env, if
+    // defined, as the search path instead of appending the default search paths.
     if sess.target.vendor == "fortanix"
         || sess.target.os == "linux"
         || sess.target.os == "fuchsia"
+        || sess.target.is_like_aix
         || sess.target.is_like_osx && !sess.opts.unstable_opts.sanitizer.is_empty()
     {
         f(&sess.target_tlib_path.dir, false)?;
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/compile.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/compile.rs
index cc6eb1ec4a9fb..0cacd6e4f37ac 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/compile.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/compile.rs
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ fn copy_third_party_objects(
 
     if target == "x86_64-fortanix-unknown-sgx"
         || builder.config.llvm_libunwind(target) == LlvmLibunwind::InTree
-            && (target.contains("linux") || target.contains("fuchsia"))
+            && (target.contains("linux") || target.contains("fuchsia") || target.contains("aix"))
     {
         let libunwind_path =
             copy_llvm_libunwind(builder, target, &builder.sysroot_target_libdir(*compiler, target));