diff --git a/src/bootstrap/bin/main.rs b/src/bootstrap/bin/main.rs
index 9b4861ccd95f4..be69f819c6428 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/bin/main.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/bin/main.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ fn main() {
 
     // NOTE: Since `./configure` generates a `config.toml`, distro maintainers will see the
     // changelog warning, not the `x.py setup` message.
-    let suggest_setup = !config.config.exists() && !matches!(config.cmd, Subcommand::Setup { .. });
+    let suggest_setup = config.config.is_none() && !matches!(config.cmd, Subcommand::Setup { .. });
     if suggest_setup {
         println!("warning: you have not made a `config.toml`");
         println!(
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/config.rs b/src/bootstrap/config.rs
index 21dc11c48081e..ba50ce9ec2426 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/config.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/config.rs
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub keep_stage_std: Vec<u32>,
     pub src: PathBuf,
     /// defaults to `config.toml`
-    pub config: PathBuf,
+    pub config: Option<PathBuf>,
     pub jobs: Option<u32>,
     pub cmd: Subcommand,
     pub incremental: bool,
@@ -926,8 +926,10 @@ impl Config {
         // Give a hard error if `--config` or `RUST_BOOTSTRAP_CONFIG` are set to a missing path,
         // but not if `config.toml` hasn't been created.
         let mut toml = if !using_default_path || toml_path.exists() {
+            config.config = Some(toml_path.clone());
             get_toml(&toml_path)
         } else {
+            config.config = None;
             TomlConfig::default()
         };
 
@@ -942,7 +944,6 @@ impl Config {
         }
 
         config.changelog_seen = toml.changelog_seen;
-        config.config = toml_path;
 
         let build = toml.build.unwrap_or_default();
 
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/setup.rs b/src/bootstrap/setup.rs
index eb7da1bda73cb..04480277fe047 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/setup.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/setup.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for Profile {
 }
 
 pub fn setup(config: &Config, profile: Profile) {
-    let path = &config.config;
+    let path = &config.config.clone().unwrap_or(PathBuf::from("config.toml"));
 
     if path.exists() {
         eprintln!(