diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8d3dabb8d18..265a5c136f7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -300,10 +300,12 @@ vet: check-go ## Run go vet against code.
 	go vet -mod=mod ./...
 
 ENVTEST := $(shell pwd)/bin/setup-envtest
-ENVTESTPATH = $(shell $(ENVTEST) use $(ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION) -p path)
-ifeq ($(shell $(ENVTEST) list | grep $(ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION)),)
-	ENVTESTPATH = $(shell $(ENVTEST) --arch=amd64 use $(ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION) -p path)
-endif
+# Native-arch resolution first, falling back to amd64 only if that fails (e.g. no
+# native-arch envtest assets published for this k8s version). Done as a single shell
+# expression (not a make ifeq) so it's decided when ENVTESTPATH is actually referenced
+# in a recipe, after $(ENVTEST) is guaranteed installed for the host's real arch --
+# not at Makefile-parse time against a possibly-cold bin/ (see issue #2377).
+ENVTESTPATH = $(shell out=$$($(ENVTEST) use $(ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION) -p path 2>/dev/null); if [ -z "$$out" ]; then out=$$($(ENVTEST) --arch=amd64 use $(ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION) -p path 2>/dev/null); fi; echo "$$out")
 .PHONY: check-envtest-arch
 check-envtest-arch:
 	@if [ -f $(ENVTEST) ] && ! $(ENVTEST) --help >/dev/null 2>&1; then \