diff --git a/misc/cgo/testplugin/plugin_test.go b/misc/cgo/testplugin/plugin_test.go
index a6accc1dfbba9..10c5db2646b14 100644
--- a/misc/cgo/testplugin/plugin_test.go
+++ b/misc/cgo/testplugin/plugin_test.go
@@ -289,3 +289,31 @@ func TestIssue44956(t *testing.T) {
 	goCmd(t, "build", "-o", "issue44956.exe", "./issue44956/main.go")
 	run(t, "./issue44956.exe")
 }
+
+func TestForkExec(t *testing.T) {
+	// Issue 38824: importing the plugin package causes it hang in forkExec on darwin.
+
+	t.Parallel()
+	goCmd(t, "build", "-o", "forkexec.exe", "./forkexec/main.go")
+
+	var cmd *exec.Cmd
+	done := make(chan int, 1)
+
+	go func() {
+		for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
+			cmd = exec.Command("./forkexec.exe", "1")
+			err := cmd.Run()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("running command failed: %v", err)
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		done <- 1
+	}()
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+	case <-time.After(5 * time.Minute):
+		cmd.Process.Kill()
+		t.Fatalf("subprocess hang")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/misc/cgo/testplugin/testdata/forkexec/main.go b/misc/cgo/testplugin/testdata/forkexec/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3169ff5f04d10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/cgo/testplugin/testdata/forkexec/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Copyright 2021 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	_ "plugin"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	if os.Args[1] != "1" {
+		return
+	}
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for i := 0; i < 8; i++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			// does not matter what we exec, just exec itself
+			cmd := exec.Command("./forkexec.exe", "0")
+			cmd.Run()
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+}
diff --git a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
index 9e13db7b71878..f1a37e955e937 100644
--- a/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
+++ b/src/cmd/link/internal/ld/lib.go
@@ -1269,7 +1269,10 @@ func (ctxt *Link) hostlink() {
 		if ctxt.DynlinkingGo() && buildcfg.GOOS != "ios" {
 			// -flat_namespace is deprecated on iOS.
 			// It is useful for supporting plugins. We don't support plugins on iOS.
-			argv = append(argv, "-Wl,-flat_namespace")
+			// -flat_namespace may cause the dynamic linker to hang at forkExec when
+			// resolving a lazy binding. See issue 38824.
+			// Force eager resolution to work around.
+			argv = append(argv, "-Wl,-flat_namespace", "-Wl,-bind_at_load")
 		}
 		if !combineDwarf {
 			argv = append(argv, "-Wl,-S") // suppress STAB (symbolic debugging) symbols