diff --git a/.cargo/config.toml b/.cargo/config.toml
index d3364a54b2a..b2b00df3cc2 100644
--- a/.cargo/config.toml
+++ b/.cargo/config.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,3 @@ linker = "aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc"
 rustflags = ["-C", "target-feature=+crt-static"]
 [target.'cfg(target_env = "msvc")']
 rustflags = ["-C", "target-feature=+crt-static"]
-
-[env]
-# See feat_external_libstdbuf in src/uu/stdbuf/Cargo.toml
-LIBSTDBUF_DIR = "/usr/local/libexec/coreutils"
diff --git a/src/uu/stdbuf/build.rs b/src/uu/stdbuf/build.rs
index 81a1e052b6d..b7687f77d95 100644
--- a/src/uu/stdbuf/build.rs
+++ b/src/uu/stdbuf/build.rs
@@ -18,26 +18,6 @@ fn main() {
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=build.rs");
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=src/libstdbuf/src/libstdbuf.rs");
 
-    // Check for external stdbuf feature requirements
-    #[cfg(feature = "feat_external_libstdbuf")]
-    {
-        if env::var("LIBSTDBUF_DIR").is_err() {
-            eprintln!(
-                "\n\x1b[31mError:\x1b[0m The 'feat_external_libstdbuf' feature requires the LIBSTDBUF_DIR environment variable to be set."
-            );
-            eprintln!(
-                "\x1b[33mUsage:\x1b[0m LIBSTDBUF_DIR=/path/to/lib/directory cargo build --features feat_external_libstdbuf"
-            );
-            eprintln!(
-                "\x1b[33mExample:\x1b[0m LIBSTDBUF_DIR=/usr/lib cargo build --features feat_external_libstdbuf"
-            );
-            eprintln!(
-                "\nThis directory should point to where libstdbuf.so / libstdbuf.dylib will be installed on the target system."
-            );
-            std::process::exit(1);
-        }
-    }
-
     let out_dir = env::var("OUT_DIR").expect("OUT_DIR not set");
     let target = env::var("TARGET").unwrap_or_else(|_| "unknown".to_string());
 
diff --git a/src/uu/stdbuf/src/stdbuf.rs b/src/uu/stdbuf/src/stdbuf.rs
index 3ff36885b9c..3fad3ab4cd2 100644
--- a/src/uu/stdbuf/src/stdbuf.rs
+++ b/src/uu/stdbuf/src/stdbuf.rs
@@ -148,8 +148,11 @@ fn get_preload_env(tmp_dir: &TempDir) -> UResult<(String, PathBuf)> {
 #[cfg(feature = "feat_external_libstdbuf")]
 fn get_preload_env(_tmp_dir: &TempDir) -> UResult<(String, PathBuf)> {
     // Use the directory provided at compile time via LIBSTDBUF_DIR environment variable
-    // This will fail to compile if LIBSTDBUF_DIR is not set, which is the desired behavior
-    const LIBSTDBUF_DIR: &str = env!("LIBSTDBUF_DIR");
+    // cannot use unwrap_or <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/143874>
+    const LIBSTDBUF_DIR: &str = match option_env!("LIBSTDBUF_DIR") {
+        Some(v) => v,
+        None => "/usr/local/libexec/coreutils",
+    };
 
     let (preload, extension) = preload_strings();