diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/core/sanity.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/core/sanity.rs
index ef776e2194365..493f73b21fe15 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/core/sanity.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/core/sanity.rs
@@ -200,12 +200,14 @@ than building it.
         .map(|p| cmd_finder.must_have(p))
         .or_else(|| cmd_finder.maybe_have("reuse"));
 
-    let stage0_supported_target_list: HashSet<String> = crate::utils::helpers::output(
-        command(&build.config.initial_rustc).args(["--print", "target-list"]).as_command_mut(),
-    )
-    .lines()
-    .map(|s| s.to_string())
-    .collect();
+    let stage0_supported_target_list: HashSet<String> = command(&build.config.initial_rustc)
+        .args(["--print", "target-list"])
+        .run_always()
+        .run_capture_stdout(&build)
+        .stdout()
+        .lines()
+        .map(|s| s.to_string())
+        .collect();
 
     // Compiler tools like `cc` and `ar` are not configured for cross-targets on certain subcommands
     // because they are not needed.
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
index 25e59bfe3a889..7254c653a2dba 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ use std::cell::{Cell, RefCell};
 use std::collections::{BTreeSet, HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::fmt::Display;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
-use std::process::Command;
 use std::sync::OnceLock;
 use std::time::SystemTime;
 use std::{env, fs, io, str};
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ use crate::core::builder::Kind;
 use crate::core::config::{DryRun, LldMode, LlvmLibunwind, TargetSelection, flags};
 use crate::utils::exec::{BehaviorOnFailure, BootstrapCommand, CommandOutput, OutputMode, command};
 use crate::utils::helpers::{
-    self, dir_is_empty, exe, libdir, output, set_file_times, split_debuginfo, symlink_dir,
+    self, dir_is_empty, exe, libdir, set_file_times, split_debuginfo, symlink_dir,
 };
 
 mod core;
@@ -376,10 +375,13 @@ impl Build {
         let in_tree_llvm_info = config.in_tree_llvm_info.clone();
         let in_tree_gcc_info = config.in_tree_gcc_info.clone();
 
-        let initial_target_libdir =
-            output(Command::new(&config.initial_rustc).args(["--print", "target-libdir"]))
-                .trim()
-                .to_owned();
+        let initial_target_libdir = command(&config.initial_rustc)
+            .run_always()
+            .args(["--print", "target-libdir"])
+            .run_capture_stdout(&config)
+            .stdout()
+            .trim()
+            .to_owned();
 
         let initial_target_dir = Path::new(&initial_target_libdir)
             .parent()
@@ -479,8 +481,11 @@ impl Build {
 
         // If local-rust is the same major.minor as the current version, then force a
         // local-rebuild
-        let local_version_verbose =
-            output(Command::new(&build.initial_rustc).arg("--version").arg("--verbose"));
+        let local_version_verbose = command(&build.initial_rustc)
+            .run_always()
+            .args(["--version", "--verbose"])
+            .run_capture_stdout(&build)
+            .stdout();
         let local_release = local_version_verbose
             .lines()
             .filter_map(|x| x.strip_prefix("release:"))
@@ -941,9 +946,14 @@ impl Build {
     fn rustc_snapshot_sysroot(&self) -> &Path {
         static SYSROOT_CACHE: OnceLock<PathBuf> = OnceLock::new();
         SYSROOT_CACHE.get_or_init(|| {
-            let mut rustc = Command::new(&self.initial_rustc);
-            rustc.args(["--print", "sysroot"]);
-            output(&mut rustc).trim().into()
+            command(&self.initial_rustc)
+                .run_always()
+                .args(["--print", "sysroot"])
+                .run_capture_stdout(self)
+                .stdout()
+                .trim()
+                .to_owned()
+                .into()
         })
     }
 
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/utils/helpers.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/utils/helpers.rs
index f2c3e8c0df464..3e04e04684466 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/utils/helpers.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/utils/helpers.rs
@@ -300,25 +300,6 @@ pub fn make(host: &str) -> PathBuf {
     }
 }
 
-#[track_caller]
-pub fn output(cmd: &mut Command) -> String {
-    #[cfg(feature = "tracing")]
-    let _run_span = crate::trace_cmd!(cmd);
-
-    let output = match cmd.stderr(Stdio::inherit()).output() {
-        Ok(status) => status,
-        Err(e) => fail(&format!("failed to execute command: {cmd:?}\nERROR: {e}")),
-    };
-    if !output.status.success() {
-        panic!(
-            "command did not execute successfully: {:?}\n\
-             expected success, got: {}",
-            cmd, output.status
-        );
-    }
-    String::from_utf8(output.stdout).unwrap()
-}
-
 /// Spawn a process and return a closure that will wait for the process
 /// to finish and then return its output. This allows the spawned process
 /// to do work without immediately blocking bootstrap.