diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ee680cc3f274..eeed783931bc 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ META
 /asmcomp/CSE.ml
 
 /boot/ocamlrun
-/boot/ocamlruns
 /boot/camlheader
 /boot/ocamlc.opt
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0255bdd8b544..4c43e89f3cf6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -177,16 +177,13 @@ FLEXLINK_BUILD_ENV = \
 FLEXDLL_SOURCES = \
   $(FLEXDLL_C_SOURCES) $(wildcard $(FLEXDLL_SOURCE_DIR)/*.ml*)
 
-boot/ocamlruns$(EXE): runtime/ocamlruns$(EXE)
-	cp $< $@
-
 $(BYTE_BINDIR) $(OPT_BINDIR):
 	$(MKDIR) $@
 
 flexlink.byte$(EXE): $(FLEXDLL_SOURCES)
 	rm -f $(FLEXDLL_SOURCE_DIR)/flexlink.exe
 	$(MAKE) -C $(FLEXDLL_SOURCE_DIR) $(FLEXLINK_BUILD_ENV) \
-	  OCAMLRUN='$$(ROOTDIR)/boot/ocamlruns$(EXE)' NATDYNLINK=false \
+	  OCAMLRUN='$$(ROOTDIR)/boot/ocamlrun$(EXE)' NATDYNLINK=false \
 	  OCAMLOPT='$(value BOOT_OCAMLC) $(USE_RUNTIME_PRIMS) $(USE_STDLIB)' \
 	  flexlink.exe support
 	cp $(FLEXDLL_SOURCE_DIR)/flexlink.exe $@
@@ -197,7 +194,7 @@ partialclean::
 $(BYTE_BINDIR)/flexlink$(EXE): flexlink.byte$(EXE) | $(BYTE_BINDIR)
 	rm -f $@
 # Start with a copy to ensure that the result is always executable
-	cp boot/ocamlruns$(EXE) $@
+	cp boot/ocamlrun$(EXE) $@
 	cat flexlink.byte$(EXE) >> $@
 	cp $(addprefix $(FLEXDLL_SOURCE_DIR)/, $(FLEXDLL_OBJECTS)) $(BYTE_BINDIR)
 
@@ -205,26 +202,26 @@ partialclean::
 	rm -f $(BYTE_BINDIR)/flexlink $(BYTE_BINDIR)/flexlink.exe
 
 ifeq "$(BOOTSTRAPPING_FLEXDLL)" "false"
-  COLDSTART_STDLIB_RUNTIME = runtime/ocamlrun$(EXE) runtime/primitives
+boot/ocamlrun$(EXE): runtime/ocamlrun$(EXE) runtime/primitives
 else
-  # The recipe for boot/ocamlruns$(EXE) directly produces runtime/primitives
-  COLDSTART_STDLIB_RUNTIME = boot/ocamlruns$(EXE)
+# The recipe for runtime/ocamlruns$(EXE) directly produces runtime/primitives
+boot/ocamlrun$(EXE): runtime/ocamlruns$(EXE)
 
 $(foreach runtime, ocamlrun ocamlrund ocamlruni, \
   $(eval runtime/$(runtime)$(EXE): | $(BYTE_BINDIR)/flexlink$(EXE)))
 endif
 
+# $< refers to runtime/ocamlruns when bootstrapping flexlink and
+# runtime/ocamlrun otherwise (see above).
+boot/ocamlrun$(EXE):
+	cp $< $@
+
 # Start up the system from the distribution compiler
 .PHONY: coldstart
-coldstart: $(COLDSTART_STDLIB_RUNTIME)
+coldstart: boot/ocamlrun$(EXE) runtime/libcamlrun.$(A)
 	$(MAKE) -C stdlib OCAMLRUN='$$(ROOTDIR)/$<' \
 	  CAMLC='$$(BOOT_OCAMLC) $(USE_RUNTIME_PRIMS)' all
-	$(MAKE) setup-boot
-
-.PHONY: setup-boot
-setup-boot: runtime/ocamlrun$(EXE)
-	rm -f $(addprefix boot/, ocamlrun$(EXE) libcamlrun.$(A) $(LIBFILES))
-	cp $< boot/ocamlrun$(EXE)
+	rm -f $(addprefix boot/, libcamlrun.$(A) $(LIBFILES))
 	cp $(addprefix stdlib/, $(LIBFILES)) boot
 	cd boot; $(LN) ../runtime/libcamlrun.$(A) .
 
@@ -1654,7 +1651,6 @@ distclean: clean
 	rm -f utils/config.generated.ml
 	rm -f compilerlibs/META
 	rm -f boot/ocamlrun boot/ocamlrun.exe boot/camlheader \
-	      boot/ocamlruns boot/ocamlruns.exe \
 	      boot/flexdll_*.o boot/flexdll_*.obj \
 	      boot/*.cm* boot/libcamlrun.a boot/libcamlrun.lib boot/ocamlc.opt
 	rm -f Makefile.config Makefile.build_config
diff --git a/ocamldoc/Makefile.best_ocamldoc b/ocamldoc/Makefile.best_ocamldoc
index 71b328212294..870102701666 100644
--- a/ocamldoc/Makefile.best_ocamldoc
+++ b/ocamldoc/Makefile.best_ocamldoc
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ OCAMLDOC_OPT = $(ROOTDIR)/ocamldoc/ocamldoc.opt$(EXE)
 
 ifeq "$(TARGET)" "$(HOST)"
   ifeq "$(SUPPORTS_SHARED_LIBRARIES)" "true"
-    OCAMLDOC_RUN_BYTE = $(OCAMLRUN) -I $(ROOTDIR)/otherlibs/unix \
+    OCAMLDOC_RUN_BYTE = $(NEW_OCAMLRUN) -I $(ROOTDIR)/otherlibs/unix \
                                     -I $(ROOTDIR)/otherlibs/str ./$(OCAMLDOC)
   else
     # if shared-libraries are not supported, unix.cma and str.cma
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ ifeq "$(TARGET)" "$(HOST)"
     OCAMLDOC_RUN_BYTE = ./$(OCAMLDOC)
   endif
 else
-  OCAMLDOC_RUN_BYTE = $(OCAMLRUN) ./$(OCAMLDOC)
+  OCAMLDOC_RUN_BYTE = $(NEW_OCAMLRUN) ./$(OCAMLDOC)
 endif
 
 OCAMLDOC_RUN_OPT = ./$(OCAMLDOC_OPT)