diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/gcov/gcov.exp b/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/gcov/gcov.exp
index 04e7a0164865..def827de3c74 100644
--- a/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/gcov/gcov.exp
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/gcov/gcov.exp
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ global GXX_UNDER_TEST
 
 # Find gcov in the same directory as $GXX_UNDER_TEST.
 if { ![is_remote host] && [string match "*/*" [lindex $GXX_UNDER_TEST 0]] } {
-    set GCOV [file dirname [lindex $GXX_UNDER_TEST 0]]/[transform gcov]
+    set GCOV [file dirname [lindex $GXX_UNDER_TEST 0]]/[gcc-transform-out-of-tree gcov]
 } else {
-    set GCOV [transform gcov]
+    set GCOV [gcc-transform-out-of-tree gcov]
 }
 
 # Initialize harness.
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/gcc.misc-tests/gcov.exp b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.misc-tests/gcov.exp
index b8e9661aa537..bc8e2c9958bf 100644
--- a/gcc/testsuite/gcc.misc-tests/gcov.exp
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/gcc.misc-tests/gcov.exp
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ global GCC_UNDER_TEST
 
 # For now find gcov in the same directory as $GCC_UNDER_TEST.
 if { ![is_remote host] && [string match "*/*" [lindex $GCC_UNDER_TEST 0]] } {
-    set GCOV [file dirname [lindex $GCC_UNDER_TEST 0]]/[transform gcov]
+    set GCOV [file dirname [lindex $GCC_UNDER_TEST 0]]/[gcc-transform-out-of-tree gcov]
 } else {
-    set GCOV [transform gcov]
+    set GCOV [gcc-transform-out-of-tree gcov]
 }
 
 # Initialize harness.
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/lib/gcc-dg.exp b/gcc/testsuite/lib/gcc-dg.exp
index 23ec038f41eb..0129b1136300 100644
--- a/gcc/testsuite/lib/gcc-dg.exp
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/lib/gcc-dg.exp
@@ -1429,5 +1429,18 @@ proc scan-symbol-not { args } {
     }
 }
 
+# Transform a tool-name to its canonical-target-name by "transform"
+# (which may return the original name for native targets) but only if
+# testing out-of-tree.  When in-tree, the tool is expected to be found
+# by its original name, typically with some build-directory prefix
+# prepended by the caller.
+proc gcc-transform-out-of-tree { args } {
+    global TESTING_IN_BUILD_TREE
+    if { [info exists TESTING_IN_BUILD_TREE] } {
+	return $args;
+    }
+    return [transform $args]
+}
+
 set additional_prunes ""
 set dg_runtest_extra_prunes ""