diff --git a/cmd/playground/main.go b/cmd/playground/main.go
index b5507ba3..a8accd1c 100644
--- a/cmd/playground/main.go
+++ b/cmd/playground/main.go
@@ -44,15 +44,15 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&args.playgroundUrl, "playground-url", goplay.DefaultPlaygroundURL, "Go Playground URL")
 	flag.BoolVar(&args.debug, "debug", false, "Enable debug mode")
 
-	goRoot, ok := os.LookupEnv("GOROOT")
-	if !ok {
-		fmt.Println("environment variable GOROOT is not defined")
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-
-	flag.Parse()
 	l := getLogger(args.debug)
 	defer l.Sync() //nolint:errcheck
+	flag.Parse()
+
+	goRoot, err := compiler.GOROOT()
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Fatal("failed to find GOROOT environment variable value", zap.Error(err))
+	}
+
 	if err := start(goRoot, args); err != nil {
 		l.Sugar().Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/compiler/compiler.go b/pkg/compiler/compiler.go
index f3b6b1f1..e208e98b 100644
--- a/pkg/compiler/compiler.go
+++ b/pkg/compiler/compiler.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"io"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 )
 
 var buildArgs = []string{
@@ -38,13 +37,7 @@ func NewBuildService(log *zap.SugaredLogger, store storage.StoreProvider) BuildS
 }
 
 func (s BuildService) buildSource(ctx context.Context, outputLocation, sourceLocation string) error {
-	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "go",
-		"build",
-		"-o",
-		outputLocation,
-		sourceLocation,
-	)
-
+	cmd := newGoToolCommand(ctx, "build", "-o", outputLocation, sourceLocation)
 	cmd.Env = buildArgs
 	buff := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	cmd.Stderr = buff
diff --git a/pkg/compiler/env.go b/pkg/compiler/env.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a167a4ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/compiler/env.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package compiler
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+const goRootEnv = "GOROOT"
+
+// ErrUndefinedEnvVariable occurs when requested environment variable is undefined or empty
+var ErrUndefinedEnvVariable = errors.New("environment variable is undefined or empty")
+
+// GOROOT returns host GOROOT variable from OS environment vars or from Go tool environment.
+func GOROOT() (string, error) {
+	return LookupEnv(context.Background(), goRootEnv)
+}
+
+func newGoToolCommand(ctx context.Context, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "go", args...)
+	cmd.Env = os.Environ()
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func getEnvFromGo(ctx context.Context, envName string) (string, error) {
+	cmd := newGoToolCommand(ctx, "env", envName)
+	buff := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	cmd.Stdout = buff
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("command %q returned an error: %w", strings.Join(cmd.Args, " "), err)
+	}
+
+	return buff.String(), nil
+}
+
+// LookupEnv gets variable by name from shell environment or using Go environment using "go env" tool.
+func LookupEnv(ctx context.Context, varName string) (string, error) {
+	envVar, ok := os.LookupEnv(varName)
+	if ok {
+		envVar = strings.TrimSpace(envVar)
+		if envVar != "" {
+			return envVar, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	cmdCtx, cf := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
+	defer cf()
+
+	// Lookup env variable using "go env" tool if not defined in environment.
+	val, err := getEnvFromGo(cmdCtx, varName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	val = strings.TrimSpace(val)
+	if val == "" {
+		return "", ErrUndefinedEnvVariable
+	}
+
+	return val, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/compiler/env_test.go b/pkg/compiler/env_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff8afefd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/compiler/env_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package compiler
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestLookupEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[string]struct {
+		envName     string
+		expectErr   string
+		expectValue string
+		beforeRun   func(t *testing.T)
+	}{
+		"read value from shell": {
+			envName:     "FOO",
+			expectValue: "FOOBAR",
+			beforeRun: func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Setenv("FOO", "FOOBAR")
+			},
+		},
+		"fallback to go env tool": {
+			envName:     "GOHOSTOS",
+			expectValue: runtime.GOOS,
+		},
+		"failed to call go tool": {
+			envName:   "GOHOSTARCH",
+			expectErr: `command "go env GOHOSTARCH" returned an error`,
+			beforeRun: func(t *testing.T) {
+				// "go test" sets all env vars before run
+				t.Setenv("GOHOSTARCH", "")
+				// Break path lookup to simulate error
+				t.Setenv("PATH", ".")
+			},
+		},
+		"undefined variable": {
+			envName:   "THIS_ENV_VAR_SHOULD_NOT_EXIST",
+			expectErr: ErrUndefinedEnvVariable.Error(),
+		},
+	}
+
+	for k, v := range cases {
+		t.Run(k, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if v.beforeRun != nil {
+				v.beforeRun(t)
+			}
+			got, err := LookupEnv(context.Background(), v.envName)
+			if v.expectErr != "" {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+				require.True(t, strings.Contains(err.Error(), v.expectErr),
+					"error %q should include %q", err.Error(), v.expectErr)
+				return
+			}
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equal(t, v.expectValue, got)
+		})
+	}
+}