diff --git a/compiler/rustc_driver_impl/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_driver_impl/src/lib.rs
index 2e01c385a667..b8d5281087ef 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_driver_impl/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_driver_impl/src/lib.rs
@@ -350,6 +350,8 @@ fn run_compiler(
 
     callbacks.config(&mut config);
 
+    let registered_lints = config.register_lints.is_some();
+
     interface::run_compiler(config, |compiler| {
         let sess = &compiler.sess;
         let codegen_backend = &*compiler.codegen_backend;
@@ -365,7 +367,7 @@ fn run_compiler(
         // `--help`/`-Zhelp`/`-Chelp`. This is the earliest it can run, because
         // it must happen after lints are registered, during session creation.
         if sess.opts.describe_lints {
-            describe_lints(sess);
+            describe_lints(sess, registered_lints);
             return early_exit();
         }
 
@@ -982,7 +984,7 @@ fn print_wall_help() {
 }
 
 /// Write to stdout lint command options, together with a list of all available lints
-pub fn describe_lints(sess: &Session) {
+pub fn describe_lints(sess: &Session, registered_lints: bool) {
     safe_println!(
         "
 Available lint options:
@@ -1086,7 +1088,7 @@ fn sort_lint_groups(
 
     print_lint_groups(builtin_groups, true);
 
-    match (sess.registered_lints, loaded.len(), loaded_groups.len()) {
+    match (registered_lints, loaded.len(), loaded_groups.len()) {
         (false, 0, _) | (false, _, 0) => {
             safe_println!("Lint tools like Clippy can load additional lints and lint groups.");
         }
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_interface/src/interface.rs b/compiler/rustc_interface/src/interface.rs
index 07ae24ee6d32..7ad893f61ab5 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_interface/src/interface.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_interface/src/interface.rs
@@ -479,7 +479,6 @@ pub fn run_compiler<R: Send>(config: Config, f: impl FnOnce(&Compiler) -> R + Se
             let mut lint_store = rustc_lint::new_lint_store(sess.enable_internal_lints());
             if let Some(register_lints) = config.register_lints.as_deref() {
                 register_lints(&sess, &mut lint_store);
-                sess.registered_lints = true;
             }
             sess.lint_store = Some(Lrc::new(lint_store));
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs b/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
index 160525cead03..9f6106f9cfb7 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
@@ -156,9 +156,6 @@ pub struct Session {
     /// This only ever stores a `LintStore` but we don't want a dependency on that type here.
     pub lint_store: Option<Lrc<dyn LintStoreMarker>>,
 
-    /// Should be set if any lints are registered in `lint_store`.
-    pub registered_lints: bool,
-
     /// Cap lint level specified by a driver specifically.
     pub driver_lint_caps: FxHashMap<lint::LintId, lint::Level>,
 
@@ -1068,7 +1065,6 @@ pub fn build_session(
         prof,
         code_stats: Default::default(),
         lint_store: None,
-        registered_lints: false,
         driver_lint_caps,
         ctfe_backtrace,
         miri_unleashed_features: Lock::new(Default::default()),
diff --git a/src/librustdoc/lib.rs b/src/librustdoc/lib.rs
index a384c286039d..5d82b8e309a6 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/lib.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/lib.rs
@@ -846,11 +846,13 @@ fn main_args(
 
     let config = core::create_config(input, options, &render_options, using_internal_features);
 
+    let registered_lints = config.register_lints.is_some();
+
     interface::run_compiler(config, |compiler| {
         let sess = &compiler.sess;
 
         if sess.opts.describe_lints {
-            rustc_driver::describe_lints(sess);
+            rustc_driver::describe_lints(sess, registered_lints);
             return;
         }