diff --git a/tool/gocross/autoflags.go b/tool/gocross/autoflags.go
index 020b19fa5..b28d3bc5d 100644
--- a/tool/gocross/autoflags.go
+++ b/tool/gocross/autoflags.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func autoflagsForTest(argv []string, env *Environment, goroot, nativeGOOS, nativ
 		cc          = "cc"
 		targetOS    = cmp.Or(env.Get("GOOS", ""), nativeGOOS)
 		targetArch  = cmp.Or(env.Get("GOARCH", ""), nativeGOARCH)
-		buildFlags  = []string{"-trimpath"}
+		buildFlags  = []string{}
 		cgoCflags   = []string{"-O3", "-std=gnu11", "-g"}
 		cgoLdflags  []string
 		ldflags     []string
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ func autoflagsForTest(argv []string, env *Environment, goroot, nativeGOOS, nativ
 		subcommand = argv[1]
 	}
 
+	if subcommand != "test" {
+		buildFlags = append(buildFlags, "-trimpath")
+	}
+
 	switch subcommand {
 	case "build", "env", "install", "run", "test", "list":
 	default:
diff --git a/tool/gocross/autoflags_test.go b/tool/gocross/autoflags_test.go
index 8f24dd8a3..a0f3edfd2 100644
--- a/tool/gocross/autoflags_test.go
+++ b/tool/gocross/autoflags_test.go
@@ -163,7 +163,6 @@ GOTOOLCHAIN=local (was <nil>)
 TS_LINK_FAIL_REFLECT=0 (was <nil>)`,
 			wantArgv: []string{
 				"gocross", "test",
-				"-trimpath",
 				"-tags=tailscale_go,osusergo,netgo",
 				"-ldflags", "-X tailscale.com/version.longStamp=1.2.3-long -X tailscale.com/version.shortStamp=1.2.3 -X tailscale.com/version.gitCommitStamp=abcd -X tailscale.com/version.extraGitCommitStamp=defg '-extldflags=-static'",
 				"-race",