diff --git a/tests/testsuite/build_script_env.rs b/tests/testsuite/build_script_env.rs
index 119e4210a..6ad4ab97b 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/build_script_env.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/build_script_env.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ fn rerun_if_env_changes() {
         )
         .build();
 
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .with_stderr(
             "\
 [COMPILING] foo v0.0.1 ([..])
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ fn rerun_if_env_changes() {
 ",
         )
         .run();
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("FOO", "bar")
         .with_stderr(
             "\
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ fn rerun_if_env_changes() {
 ",
         )
         .run();
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("FOO", "baz")
         .with_stderr(
             "\
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ fn rerun_if_env_changes() {
 ",
         )
         .run();
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("FOO", "baz")
         .with_stderr("[FINISHED] [..]")
         .run();
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .with_stderr(
             "\
 [COMPILING] foo v0.0.1 ([..])
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ fn rerun_if_env_or_file_changes() {
         .file("foo", "")
         .build();
 
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .with_stderr(
             "\
 [COMPILING] foo v0.0.1 ([..])
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ fn rerun_if_env_or_file_changes() {
 ",
         )
         .run();
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("FOO", "bar")
         .with_stderr(
             "\
@@ -91,13 +91,13 @@ fn rerun_if_env_or_file_changes() {
 ",
         )
         .run();
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("FOO", "bar")
         .with_stderr("[FINISHED] [..]")
         .run();
     sleep_ms(1000);
     p.change_file("foo", "");
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("FOO", "bar")
         .with_stderr(
             "\
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ fn rustc_bootstrap() {
         .file("build.rs", build_rs)
         .build();
     // RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP unset on stable should error
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .with_stderr_contains("error: Cannot set `RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1` [..]")
         .with_stderr_contains(
             "help: [..] set the environment variable `RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=has_dashes` [..]",
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ fn rustc_bootstrap() {
         .with_status(101)
         .run();
     // nightly should warn whether or not RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP is set
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .masquerade_as_nightly_cargo(&["RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP"])
         // NOTE: uses RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP so it will be propagated to rustc
         // (this matters when tests are being run with a beta or stable cargo)
@@ -137,12 +137,12 @@ fn rustc_bootstrap() {
         .with_stderr_contains("warning: Cannot set `RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1` [..]")
         .run();
     // RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP set to the name of the library should warn
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP", "has_dashes")
         .with_stderr_contains("warning: Cannot set `RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1` [..]")
         .run();
     // RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP set to some random value should error
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP", "bar")
         .with_stderr_contains("error: Cannot set `RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1` [..]")
         .with_stderr_contains(
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ fn rustc_bootstrap() {
         .file("build.rs", build_rs)
         .build();
     // nightly should warn when there's no library whether or not RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP is set
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .masquerade_as_nightly_cargo(&["RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP"])
         // NOTE: uses RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP so it will be propagated to rustc
         // (this matters when tests are being run with a beta or stable cargo)
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ fn rustc_bootstrap() {
         .with_stderr_contains("warning: Cannot set `RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1` [..]")
         .run();
     // RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP conditionally set when there's no library should error (regardless of the value)
-    p.cargo("build")
+    p.cargo("check")
         .env("RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP", "foo")
         .with_stderr_contains("error: Cannot set `RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1` [..]")
         .with_stderr_contains("help: [..] set the environment variable `RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1` [..]")
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ fn build_script_sees_cfg_target_feature() {
             .file("build.rs", build_rs)
             .build();
 
-        p.cargo("build -vv")
+        p.cargo("check -vv")
             .with_stderr_contains("[foo 0.0.1] CARGO_CFG_TARGET_FEATURE=[..]sse4.2[..]")
             .with_stderr_contains("[..]-Ctarget-feature=[..]+sse4.2[..]")
             .run();
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ fn cfg_paradox() {
         .file("build.rs", build_rs)
         .build();
 
-    p.cargo("build -vv")
+    p.cargo("check -vv")
         .with_stderr_contains("[WARNING] non-trivial mutual dependency between target-specific configuration and RUSTFLAGS")
         .with_stderr_contains("[foo 0.0.1] cfg!(bertrand)=true")
         .with_stderr_contains("[..]--cfg=bertrand[..]")