diff --git a/cmake/modules/AddCompilerFlags.cmake b/cmake/modules/AddCompilerFlags.cmake
--- a/cmake/modules/AddCompilerFlags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/AddCompilerFlags.cmake
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
 	endif()
 
 	# Save the current linker flags
-	set(SAVE_CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS ${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS})
+	set(SAVED_CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS ${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS})
 
 	# Append the flag under test to the linker flags
 	string(APPEND CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS " ${FLAG}")
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
 	CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG("" ${FLAG_IS_SUPPORTED})
 
 	# Restore CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS
-	set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS ${SAVE_CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS})
+	set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS ${SAVED_CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS})
 
 	set(${RESULT} ${${FLAG_IS_SUPPORTED}} PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()
diff --git a/contrib/debian/control b/contrib/debian/control
--- a/contrib/debian/control
+++ b/contrib/debian/control
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
  libqrencode-dev,
  libssl-dev,
  libzmq3-dev,
+ lld,
  ninja-build,
  protobuf-compiler,
  python3,
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@
         -DENABLE_GLIBC_BACK_COMPAT=ON \
         -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${INSTALLPATH} \
         -DCCACHE=OFF \
-        -DUSE_LD_GOLD=OFF \
+        -DUSE_LINKER= \
         -DNETWORK_COMPATIBILITY=${CHAIN} \
         ${CMAKE_EXTRA_OPTIONS[${i}]}
 
diff --git a/contrib/utils/install-dependencies.sh b/contrib/utils/install-dependencies.sh
--- a/contrib/utils/install-dependencies.sh
+++ b/contrib/utils/install-dependencies.sh
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
   libtinfo5
   libtool
   libzmq3-dev
+  lld
   make
   ninja-build
   nsis
diff --git a/doc/build-unix.md b/doc/build-unix.md
--- a/doc/build-unix.md
+++ b/doc/build-unix.md
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
 ----------------------------------------------
 Build requirements:
 
-    sudo apt-get install bsdmainutils build-essential libssl-dev libevent-dev ninja-build python3
+    sudo apt-get install bsdmainutils build-essential libssl-dev libevent-dev lld ninja-build python3
 
 **Installing cmake:**
 
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,7 +29,18 @@
 option(START_WITH_UPNP "Make UPnP the default to map ports" OFF)
 option(ENABLE_CLANG_TIDY "Enable clang-tidy checks for Bitcoin ABC" OFF)
 option(ENABLE_PROFILING "Select the profiling tool to use" OFF)
-option(USE_LD_GOLD "Try to use gold as a linker if available" ON)
+
+# Linker option
+if(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
+	set(DEFAULT_LINKER "")
+elseif(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "Clang")
+	set(DEFAULT_LINKER lld)
+elseif(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
+	set(DEFAULT_LINKER gold)
+else()
+	set(DEFAULT_LINKER "")
+endif()
+set(USE_LINKER "${DEFAULT_LINKER}" CACHE STRING "Linker to be used (default: ${DEFAULT_LINKER}). Set to empty string to use the system's default.")
 
 set(OS_WITH_JEMALLOC_AS_SYSTEM_DEFAULT
 	"Android"
@@ -85,8 +96,13 @@
 
 include(AddCompilerFlags)
 
-if(USE_LD_GOLD)
-	add_linker_flags(-fuse-ld=gold)
+if(USE_LINKER)
+	set(LINKER_FLAG "-fuse-ld=${USE_LINKER}")
+	check_linker_flag(IS_LINKER_SUPPORTED ${LINKER_FLAG})
+	if(NOT IS_LINKER_SUPPORTED)
+		message(FATAL_ERROR "The ${USE_LINKER} linker is not supported, make sure ${USE_LINKER} is properly isntalled or use -DUSE_LINKER= to use the system's linker")
+	endif()
+	add_linker_flags(${LINKER_FLAG})
 endif()
 
 # Prefer -g3, defaults to -g if unavailable
@@ -416,7 +432,7 @@
 	elseif(${NETWORK_COMPATIBILITY} MATCHES "BCHN")
 		set(NETWORK_DIR bchn)
 	else()
-		message(FATAL "${NETWORK_COMPATIBILITY} is not a supported network")
+		message(FATAL_ERROR "${NETWORK_COMPATIBILITY} is not a supported network")
 	endif()
 
 	list(TRANSFORM