--- a/build/moz.configure/toolchain.configure
+++ b/build/moz.configure/toolchain.configure
@@ -791,16 +791,40 @@ def compiler(language, host_or_target, c
         }[language]
 
         preprocessor = depends_if(valid_compiler)(
                 lambda x: list(x.wrapper) + [x.compiler, '-E'] + list(x.flags))
 
         set_config(pp_var, preprocessor)
         add_old_configure_assignment(pp_var, preprocessor)
 
+    if language == 'C':
+        linker_var = {
+            target: 'LD',
+            host: 'HOST_LD',
+        }[host_or_target]
+
+        @deprecated_option(env=linker_var, nargs=1)
+        def linker(value):
+            if value:
+                return value[0]
+
+        @depends(valid_compiler, linker)
+        def unused_linker(compiler, linker):
+            if linker and compiler.type != 'msvc':
+                log.warning('The value of %s is not used by this build system.'
+                            % linker_var)
+
+        if host_or_target == target:
+            @depends(valid_compiler)
+            def is_msvc(compiler):
+                return compiler.type == 'msvc'
+
+            imply_option('LINK', linker, reason='LD', when=is_msvc)
+
     return valid_compiler
 
 
 c_compiler = compiler('C', target)
 cxx_compiler = compiler('C++', target, c_compiler=c_compiler)
 host_c_compiler = compiler('C', host, other_compiler=c_compiler)
 host_cxx_compiler = compiler('C++', host, c_compiler=host_c_compiler,
                              other_compiler=cxx_compiler,

--- a/build/moz.configure/windows.configure
+++ b/build/moz.configure/windows.configure
@@ -402,21 +402,17 @@ def valid_mt(path):
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
         pass
     raise FatalCheckError('%s is not Microsoft Manifest Tool')
 
 
 set_config('MSMANIFEST_TOOL', depends(valid_mt)(lambda x: bool(x)))
 
 
-# Ultimately, this will move to toolchain.configure and be turned into a
-# cross-platform check.
-option(env='LD', nargs=1, help='Path to the linker')
-
-link = check_prog('LINK', depends_win()(lambda: ('link.exe',)), input='LD',
+link = check_prog('LINK', depends_win()(lambda: ('link.exe',)),
                   paths=vc_compiler_path)
 
 add_old_configure_assignment('LD', depends_win(link)(lambda x: x))
 
 
 # Normally, we'd just have CC, etc. set to absolute paths, but the build system
 # doesn't currently handle properly the case where the paths contain spaces.
 # Additionally, there's the issue described in toolchain.configure, in

--- a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_moz_configure.py
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/test/configure/test_moz_configure.py
@@ -14,16 +14,20 @@ class TestMozConfigure(BaseConfigureTest
     def test_moz_configure_options(self):
         def get_value_for(args=[], environ={}, mozconfig=''):
             sandbox = self.get_sandbox({}, {}, args, environ, mozconfig)
 
             # Add a fake old-configure option
             sandbox.option_impl('--with-foo', nargs='*',
                                 help='Help missing for old configure options')
 
+            # Remove all implied options, otherwise, getting
+            # all_configure_options below triggers them, and that triggers
+            # configure parts that aren't expected to run during this test.
+            del sandbox._implied_options[:]
             result = sandbox._value_for(sandbox['all_configure_options'])
             shell = mozpath.abspath('/bin/sh')
             return result.replace('CONFIG_SHELL=%s ' % shell, '')
 
         self.assertEquals('--enable-application=browser',
                           get_value_for(['--enable-application=browser']))
 
         self.assertEquals('--enable-application=browser '