diff --git a/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_windows.go b/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_none.go
similarity index 55%
rename from components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_windows.go
rename to components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_none.go
index 41c0133b67..d66bf1a546 100644
--- a/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_windows.go
+++ b/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_none.go
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
+// +build !daemon
+
 package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 // CmdDaemon reports on an error on windows, because there is no exec
 func (p DaemonProxy) CmdDaemon(args ...string) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf(
-		"`docker daemon` does not exist on windows. Please run `dockerd` directly")
+		"`docker daemon` is not supported on %s. Please run `dockerd` directly",
+		strings.Title(runtime.GOOS))
 }
diff --git a/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_windows_test.go b/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_none_test.go
similarity index 80%
rename from components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_windows_test.go
rename to components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_none_test.go
index 3da4e5d7cc..d75453bcc5 100644
--- a/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_windows_test.go
+++ b/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_none_test.go
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+// +build !daemon
+
 package main
 
 import (
@@ -9,7 +11,7 @@ func TestCmdDaemon(t *testing.T) {
 	proxy := NewDaemonProxy()
 	err := proxy.CmdDaemon("--help")
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("Expected CmdDaemon to fail in Windows.")
+		t.Fatal("Expected CmdDaemon to fail on Windows.")
 	}
 
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "Please run `dockerd`") {
diff --git a/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_unix.go b/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_unix.go
index abe9ebfc51..7a27518636 100644
--- a/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_unix.go
+++ b/components/engine/cmd/docker/daemon_unix.go
@@ -1,31 +1,44 @@
-// +build !windows
+// +build daemon
 
 package main
 
 import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"syscall"
 )
 
 // CmdDaemon execs dockerd with the same flags
-// TODO: add a deprecation warning?
 func (p DaemonProxy) CmdDaemon(args ...string) error {
 	// Use os.Args[1:] so that "global" args are passed to dockerd
 	args = stripDaemonArg(os.Args[1:])
 
-	// TODO: check dirname args[0] first
-	binaryAbsPath, err := exec.LookPath(daemonBinary)
+	binaryPath, err := findDaemonBinary()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	return syscall.Exec(
-		binaryAbsPath,
+		binaryPath,
 		append([]string{daemonBinary}, args...),
 		os.Environ())
 }
 
+// findDaemonBinary looks for the path to the dockerd binary starting with
+// the directory of the current executable (if one exists) and followed by $PATH
+func findDaemonBinary() (string, error) {
+	execDirname := filepath.Dir(os.Args[0])
+	if execDirname != "" {
+		binaryPath := filepath.Join(execDirname, daemonBinary)
+		if _, err := os.Stat(binaryPath); err == nil {
+			return binaryPath, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return exec.LookPath(daemonBinary)
+}
+
 // stripDaemonArg removes the `daemon` argument from the list
 func stripDaemonArg(args []string) []string {
 	for i, arg := range args {
diff --git a/components/engine/hack/make.sh b/components/engine/hack/make.sh
index 36fe28bc18..e103a1aad8 100755
--- a/components/engine/hack/make.sh
+++ b/components/engine/hack/make.sh
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ if [ "$DOCKER_EXPERIMENTAL" ]; then
 	DOCKER_BUILDTAGS+=" experimental"
 fi
 
+DOCKER_BUILDTAGS+=" daemon"
 if pkg-config 'libsystemd >= 209' 2> /dev/null ; then
 	DOCKER_BUILDTAGS+=" journald"
 elif pkg-config 'libsystemd-journal' 2> /dev/null ; then
diff --git a/components/engine/hack/make/cross b/components/engine/hack/make/cross
index 37214da36a..dfcd144018 100644
--- a/components/engine/hack/make/cross
+++ b/components/engine/hack/make/cross
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ for platform in $DOCKER_CROSSPLATFORMS; do
 		fi
 
 		if [ -z "${daemonSupporting[$platform]}" ]; then
-			export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="" # we just need a simple client for these platforms
+            # we just need a simple client for these platforms
+			export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER=""
+            # remove the "daemon" build tag from platforms that aren't supported
+            export BUILDFLAGS=( "${ORIG_BUILDFLAGS[@]/ daemon/}" )
 		    source "${MAKEDIR}/binary-client"
         else
 		    source "${MAKEDIR}/binary-client"