diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/base/os.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/base/os.dart
index 72880d48e12..d5210d9411c 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/base/os.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/base/os.dart
@@ -301,8 +301,26 @@ class _MacOSUtils extends _PosixUtils {
   @override
   HostPlatform get hostPlatform {
     if (_hostPlatform == null) {
+      String sysctlPath;
+      if (which('sysctl') == null) {
+        // Fallback to known install locations.
+        for (final String path in <String>[
+          '/usr/sbin/sysctl',
+          '/sbin/sysctl',
+        ]) {
+          if (_fileSystem.isFileSync(path)) {
+            sysctlPath = path;
+          }
+        }
+      } else {
+        sysctlPath = 'sysctl';
+      }
+
+      if (sysctlPath == null) {
+        throwToolExit('sysctl not found. Try adding it to your PATH environment variable.');
+      }
       final RunResult arm64Check =
-          _processUtils.runSync(<String>['sysctl', 'hw.optional.arm64']);
+          _processUtils.runSync(<String>[sysctlPath, 'hw.optional.arm64']);
       // On arm64 stdout is "sysctl hw.optional.arm64: 1"
       // On x86 hw.optional.arm64 is unavailable and exits with 1.
       if (arm64Check.exitCode == 0 && arm64Check.stdout.trim().endsWith('1')) {
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/base/build_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/base/build_test.dart
index 98146567892..bce2911bc7c 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/base/build_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/base/build_test.dart
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ import 'package:flutter_tools/src/reporting/reporting.dart';
 import '../../src/common.dart';
 import '../../src/context.dart';
 
+const FakeCommand kWhichSysctlCommand = FakeCommand(
+  command: <String>[
+    'which',
+    'sysctl',
+  ],
+);
+
 const FakeCommand kARMCheckCommand = FakeCommand(
   command: <String>[
     'sysctl',
@@ -255,9 +262,11 @@ void main() {
     testWithoutContext('builds iOS with bitcode', () async {
       final String outputPath = fileSystem.path.join('build', 'foo');
       final String assembly = fileSystem.path.join(outputPath, 'snapshot_assembly.S');
-      processManager.addCommand(FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
-          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot, platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.profile) +'_armv7',
+      processManager.addCommands(<FakeCommand>[
+        FakeCommand(command: <String>[
+          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot,
+                  platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.profile) +
+              '_armv7',
           '--deterministic',
           '--snapshot_kind=app-aot-assembly',
           '--assembly=$assembly',
@@ -267,11 +276,10 @@ void main() {
           '--no-causal-async-stacks',
           '--lazy-async-stacks',
           'main.dill',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(kARMCheckCommand);
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        kWhichSysctlCommand,
+        kARMCheckCommand,
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'cc',
           '-arch',
@@ -283,17 +291,15 @@ void main() {
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.S',
           '-o',
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.o',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'clang',
           '-arch',
           'armv7',
           ...kBitcodeClang,
-        ]
-      ));
+        ]),
+      ]);
 
       final int genSnapshotExitCode = await snapshotter.build(
         platform: TargetPlatform.ios,
@@ -315,9 +321,11 @@ void main() {
       final String outputPath = fileSystem.path.join('build', 'foo');
       final String assembly = fileSystem.path.join(outputPath, 'snapshot_assembly.S');
       final String debugPath = fileSystem.path.join('foo', 'app.ios-armv7.symbols');
-        processManager.addCommand(FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
-          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot, platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.profile) +'_armv7',
+      processManager.addCommands(<FakeCommand>[
+        FakeCommand(command: <String>[
+          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot,
+                  platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.profile) +
+              '_armv7',
           '--deterministic',
           '--snapshot_kind=app-aot-assembly',
           '--assembly=$assembly',
@@ -329,11 +337,10 @@ void main() {
           '--dwarf-stack-traces',
           '--save-debugging-info=$debugPath',
           'main.dill',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(kARMCheckCommand);
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        kWhichSysctlCommand,
+        kARMCheckCommand,
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'cc',
           '-arch',
@@ -344,17 +351,15 @@ void main() {
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.S',
           '-o',
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.o',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'clang',
           '-arch',
           'armv7',
           ...kDefaultClang,
-        ]
-      ));
+        ]),
+      ]);
 
       final int genSnapshotExitCode = await snapshotter.build(
         platform: TargetPlatform.ios,
@@ -375,9 +380,11 @@ void main() {
     testWithoutContext('builds iOS armv7 snapshot with obfuscate', () async {
       final String outputPath = fileSystem.path.join('build', 'foo');
       final String assembly = fileSystem.path.join(outputPath, 'snapshot_assembly.S');
-      processManager.addCommand(FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
-          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot, platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.profile) +'_armv7',
+      processManager.addCommands(<FakeCommand>[
+        FakeCommand(command: <String>[
+          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot,
+                  platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.profile) +
+              '_armv7',
           '--deterministic',
           '--snapshot_kind=app-aot-assembly',
           '--assembly=$assembly',
@@ -388,11 +395,10 @@ void main() {
           '--lazy-async-stacks',
           '--obfuscate',
           'main.dill',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(kARMCheckCommand);
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        kWhichSysctlCommand,
+        kARMCheckCommand,
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'cc',
           '-arch',
@@ -403,17 +409,15 @@ void main() {
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.S',
           '-o',
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.o',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'clang',
           '-arch',
           'armv7',
           ...kDefaultClang,
-        ]
-      ));
+        ]),
+      ]);
 
       final int genSnapshotExitCode = await snapshotter.build(
         platform: TargetPlatform.ios,
@@ -434,9 +438,11 @@ void main() {
 
     testWithoutContext('builds iOS armv7 snapshot', () async {
       final String outputPath = fileSystem.path.join('build', 'foo');
-      processManager.addCommand(FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
-          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot, platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.release) +'_armv7',
+      processManager.addCommands(<FakeCommand>[
+        FakeCommand(command: <String>[
+          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot,
+                  platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.release) +
+              '_armv7',
           '--deterministic',
           '--snapshot_kind=app-aot-assembly',
           '--assembly=${fileSystem.path.join(outputPath, 'snapshot_assembly.S')}',
@@ -446,11 +452,10 @@ void main() {
           '--no-causal-async-stacks',
           '--lazy-async-stacks',
           'main.dill',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(kARMCheckCommand);
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        kWhichSysctlCommand,
+        kARMCheckCommand,
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'cc',
           '-arch',
@@ -461,17 +466,15 @@ void main() {
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.S',
           '-o',
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.o',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'clang',
           '-arch',
           'armv7',
           ...kDefaultClang,
-        ]
-      ));
+        ]),
+      ]);
 
       final int genSnapshotExitCode = await snapshotter.build(
         platform: TargetPlatform.ios,
@@ -491,9 +494,11 @@ void main() {
 
     testWithoutContext('builds iOS arm64 snapshot', () async {
       final String outputPath = fileSystem.path.join('build', 'foo');
-      processManager.addCommand(FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
-          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot, platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.release) +'_arm64',
+      processManager.addCommands(<FakeCommand>[
+        FakeCommand(command: <String>[
+          artifacts.getArtifactPath(Artifact.genSnapshot,
+                  platform: TargetPlatform.ios, mode: BuildMode.release) +
+              '_arm64',
           '--deterministic',
           '--snapshot_kind=app-aot-assembly',
           '--assembly=${fileSystem.path.join(outputPath, 'snapshot_assembly.S')}',
@@ -501,11 +506,10 @@ void main() {
           '--no-causal-async-stacks',
           '--lazy-async-stacks',
           'main.dill',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(kARMCheckCommand);
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        kWhichSysctlCommand,
+        kARMCheckCommand,
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'cc',
           '-arch',
@@ -516,17 +520,15 @@ void main() {
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.S',
           '-o',
           'build/foo/snapshot_assembly.o',
-        ]
-      ));
-      processManager.addCommand(const FakeCommand(
-        command: <String>[
+        ]),
+        const FakeCommand(command: <String>[
           'xcrun',
           'clang',
           '-arch',
           'arm64',
           ...kDefaultClang,
-        ]
-      ));
+        ]),
+      ]);
 
       final int genSnapshotExitCode = await snapshotter.build(
         platform: TargetPlatform.ios,
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/base/os_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/base/os_test.dart
index 4ca073ddb86..db72bc269c8 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/base/os_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/base/os_test.dart
@@ -167,14 +167,22 @@ void main() {
     });
 
     testWithoutContext('macOS ARM', () async {
-      fakeProcessManager.addCommand(
-        const FakeCommand(
-          command: <String>[
-            'sysctl',
-            'hw.optional.arm64',
-          ],
-          stdout: 'hw.optional.arm64: 1',
-        ),
+      fakeProcessManager.addCommands(
+        <FakeCommand>[
+          const FakeCommand(
+            command: <String>[
+              'which',
+              'sysctl',
+            ],
+          ),
+          const FakeCommand(
+            command: <String>[
+              'sysctl',
+              'hw.optional.arm64',
+            ],
+            stdout: 'hw.optional.arm64: 1',
+          ),
+        ],
       );
 
       final OperatingSystemUtils utils =
@@ -183,7 +191,14 @@ void main() {
     });
 
     testWithoutContext('macOS 11 x86', () async {
-      fakeProcessManager.addCommand(
+      fakeProcessManager.addCommands(
+        <FakeCommand>[
+          const FakeCommand(
+            command: <String>[
+              'which',
+              'sysctl',
+            ],
+          ),
           const FakeCommand(
             command: <String>[
               'sysctl',
@@ -191,15 +206,41 @@ void main() {
             ],
             stdout: 'hw.optional.arm64: 0',
           ),
-          );
+        ],
+      );
 
       final OperatingSystemUtils utils =
       createOSUtils(FakePlatform(operatingSystem: 'macos'));
       expect(utils.hostPlatform, HostPlatform.darwin_x64);
     });
 
+    testWithoutContext('sysctl not found', () async {
+      fakeProcessManager.addCommands(
+        <FakeCommand>[
+          const FakeCommand(
+            command: <String>[
+              'which',
+              'sysctl',
+            ],
+            exitCode: 1,
+          ),
+        ],
+      );
+
+      final OperatingSystemUtils utils =
+      createOSUtils(FakePlatform(operatingSystem: 'macos'));
+      expect(() => utils.hostPlatform, throwsToolExit(message: 'sysctl'));
+    });
+
     testWithoutContext('macOS 10 x86', () async {
-      fakeProcessManager.addCommand(
+      fakeProcessManager.addCommands(
+        <FakeCommand>[
+          const FakeCommand(
+            command: <String>[
+              'which',
+              'sysctl',
+            ],
+          ),
           const FakeCommand(
             command: <String>[
               'sysctl',
@@ -207,7 +248,8 @@ void main() {
             ],
             exitCode: 1,
           ),
-          );
+        ],
+      );
 
       final OperatingSystemUtils utils =
       createOSUtils(FakePlatform(operatingSystem: 'macos'));
@@ -237,6 +279,12 @@ void main() {
           ],
           stdout: 'build',
         ),
+        const FakeCommand(
+          command: <String>[
+            'which',
+            'sysctl',
+          ],
+        ),
         const FakeCommand(
           command: <String>[
             'sysctl',
@@ -274,6 +322,12 @@ void main() {
           ],
           stdout: 'build',
         ),
+        const FakeCommand(
+          command: <String>[
+            'which',
+            'sysctl',
+          ],
+        ),
         const FakeCommand(
           command: <String>[
             'sysctl',
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/ios/xcodeproj_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/ios/xcodeproj_test.dart
index cd702de36f1..75b1bae8f29 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/ios/xcodeproj_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/ios/xcodeproj_test.dart
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ void main() {
 
     // Work around https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/56415.
     testWithoutContext('xcodebuild versionText returns null when xcodebuild is not installed', () {
+      when(processManager.runSync(<String>['which', 'sysctl']))
+          .thenReturn(ProcessResult(0, 0, '', ''));
       when(processManager.runSync(<String>['sysctl', 'hw.optional.arm64']))
           .thenReturn(ProcessResult(0, 1, '', ''));
       when(processManager.runSync(<String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version']))
@@ -66,6 +68,8 @@ void main() {
       );
       platform.environment = const <String, String>{};
 
+      when(processManager.runSync(<String>['which', 'sysctl']))
+          .thenReturn(ProcessResult(0, 0, '', ''));
       when(processManager.runSync(<String>['sysctl', 'hw.optional.arm64']))
           .thenReturn(ProcessResult(0, 1, '', ''));
 
@@ -79,6 +83,13 @@ void main() {
     });
   });
 
+  const FakeCommand kWhichSysctlCommand = FakeCommand(
+    command: <String>[
+      'which',
+      'sysctl',
+    ],
+  );
+
   const FakeCommand kARMCheckCommand = FakeCommand(
     command: <String>[
       'sysctl',
@@ -115,6 +126,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild versionText returns null when xcodebuild is not fully installed', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -131,6 +143,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild versionText returns formatted version text', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -144,6 +157,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild versionText handles Xcode version string with unexpected format', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -157,6 +171,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild version parts can be parsed', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -172,6 +187,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild minor and patch version default to 0', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -187,6 +203,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild version parts is null when version has unexpected format', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -225,6 +242,7 @@ void main() {
   testWithoutContext(
       'xcodebuild isInstalled is false when Xcode is not fully installed', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -241,6 +259,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild isInstalled is false when version has unexpected format', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -254,6 +273,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild isInstalled is true when version has expected format', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-version'],
@@ -267,6 +287,7 @@ void main() {
 
   testWithoutContext('xcrun runs natively on arm64', () {
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>[
           'sysctl',
@@ -288,6 +309,7 @@ void main() {
     platform.environment = const <String, String>{};
 
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>[
           'sysctl',
@@ -317,6 +339,7 @@ void main() {
     platform.environment = const <String, String>{};
 
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>[
@@ -340,6 +363,7 @@ void main() {
       'FLUTTER_XCODE_ARCHS': 'arm64'
     };
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(<FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>[
@@ -366,6 +390,7 @@ void main() {
     };
 
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>[
@@ -390,6 +415,7 @@ void main() {
   testWithoutContext('xcodebuild -list getInfo returns something when xcodebuild -list succeeds', () async {
     const String workingDirectory = '/';
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-list'],
@@ -414,6 +440,7 @@ void main() {
     const String stderr = 'Useful Xcode failure message about missing project.';
 
     fakeProcessManager.addCommands(const <FakeCommand>[
+      kWhichSysctlCommand,
       kARMCheckCommand,
       FakeCommand(
         command: <String>['xcrun', 'xcodebuild', '-list'],
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/cocoapods_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/cocoapods_test.dart
index 95325916491..ea88b0f06c0 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/cocoapods_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/cocoapods_test.dart
@@ -460,6 +460,8 @@ Note: as of CocoaPods 1.0, `pod repo update` does not happen on `pod install` by
         ..createSync()
         ..writeAsStringSync('Existing Podfile');
 
+      when(mockProcessManager.runSync(<String>['which', 'sysctl']))
+          .thenReturn(ProcessResult(0, 0, '', ''));
       when(mockProcessManager.runSync(<String>['sysctl', 'hw.optional.arm64']))
           .thenReturn(ProcessResult(0, 0, 'hw.optional.arm64: 1', ''));
 
@@ -497,6 +499,8 @@ Note: as of CocoaPods 1.0, `pod repo update` does not happen on `pod install` by
         ..createSync()
         ..writeAsStringSync('Existing Podfile');
 
+      when(mockProcessManager.runSync(<String>['which', 'sysctl']))
+          .thenReturn(ProcessResult(0, 0, '', ''));
       when(mockProcessManager.runSync(<String>['sysctl', 'hw.optional.arm64']))
           .thenReturn(ProcessResult(0, 1, '', ''));
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/xcode_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/xcode_test.dart
index 0b6d716658b..90d6d10b7a5 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/xcode_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/xcode_test.dart
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ void main() {
       testWithoutContext('eulaSigned is false when clang is not installed', () {
         when(mockXcodeProjectInterpreter.xcrunCommand()).thenReturn(<String>['xcrun']);
 
+        when(processManager.runSync(<String>['which', 'sysctl']))
+            .thenReturn(ProcessResult(1, 0, '', ''));
         when(processManager.runSync(<String>['sysctl', 'hw.optional.arm64']))
             .thenReturn(ProcessResult(123, 1, '', ''));
         when(processManager.runSync(<String>['xcrun', 'clang']))