diff --git a/llvm/tools/gold/CMakeLists.txt b/llvm/tools/gold/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/llvm/tools/gold/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/llvm/tools/gold/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 if( LLVM_ENABLE_PIC AND LLVM_BINUTILS_INCDIR )
   include_directories( ${LLVM_BINUTILS_INCDIR} )
 
+  find_path(PLUGIN_API_H plugin-api.h ${LLVM_BINUTILS_INCDIR})
+  if (NOT PLUGIN_API_H)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Can't find plugin-api.h in ${LLVM_BINUTILS_INCDIR}. "
+      "Make sure you have GNU binutils header files installed there.")
+  endif()
+
   set(LLVM_LINK_COMPONENTS
      ${LLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD}
      Linker