diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/analysis_stats.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/analysis_stats.rs
index 4b91433f63..93297faa66 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/analysis_stats.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/analysis_stats.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ use vfs::{AbsPathBuf, Vfs, VfsPath};
 
 use crate::cli::{
     flags::{self, OutputFormat},
-    load_cargo::{load_workspace, LoadCargoConfig},
+    load_cargo::{load_workspace, LoadCargoConfig, ProcMacroServerChoice},
     print_memory_usage,
     progress_report::ProgressReport,
     report_metric, Result, Verbosity,
@@ -59,11 +59,6 @@ impl flags::AnalysisStats {
             true => None,
             false => Some(RustcSource::Discover),
         };
-        let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
-            load_out_dirs_from_check: !self.disable_build_scripts,
-            with_proc_macro: !self.disable_proc_macros,
-            prefill_caches: false,
-        };
         let no_progress = &|_| ();
 
         let mut db_load_sw = self.stop_watch();
@@ -73,6 +68,11 @@ impl flags::AnalysisStats {
 
         let mut workspace = ProjectWorkspace::load(manifest, &cargo_config, no_progress)?;
         let metadata_time = db_load_sw.elapsed();
+        let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
+            load_out_dirs_from_check: !self.disable_build_scripts,
+            with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::Sysroot,
+            prefill_caches: false,
+        };
 
         let build_scripts_time = if self.disable_build_scripts {
             None
diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/diagnostics.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/diagnostics.rs
index fd5b3ce61f..ff821be53d 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/diagnostics.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/diagnostics.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use ide_db::base_db::SourceDatabaseExt;
 
 use crate::cli::{
     flags,
-    load_cargo::{load_workspace_at, LoadCargoConfig},
+    load_cargo::{load_workspace_at, LoadCargoConfig, ProcMacroServerChoice},
 };
 
 impl flags::Diagnostics {
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ impl flags::Diagnostics {
         let cargo_config = Default::default();
         let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
             load_out_dirs_from_check: !self.disable_build_scripts,
-            with_proc_macro: !self.disable_proc_macros,
+            with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::Sysroot,
             prefill_caches: false,
         };
         let (host, _vfs, _proc_macro) =
diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/load_cargo.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/load_cargo.rs
index 762d7d3a18..5a958d963e 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/load_cargo.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/load_cargo.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //! Loads a Cargo project into a static instance of analysis, without support
 //! for incorporating changes.
-use std::{path::Path, sync::Arc};
+use std::{convert::identity, path::Path, sync::Arc};
 
 use anyhow::Result;
 use crossbeam_channel::{unbounded, Receiver};
@@ -17,10 +17,17 @@ use crate::reload::{load_proc_macro, ProjectFolders, SourceRootConfig};
 // what otherwise would be `pub(crate)` has to be `pub` here instead.
 pub struct LoadCargoConfig {
     pub load_out_dirs_from_check: bool,
-    pub with_proc_macro: bool,
+    pub with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice,
     pub prefill_caches: bool,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum ProcMacroServerChoice {
+    Sysroot,
+    Explicit(AbsPathBuf, Vec<String>),
+    None,
+}
+
 // Note: Since this function is used by external tools that use rust-analyzer as a library
 // what otherwise would be `pub(crate)` has to be `pub` here instead.
 pub fn load_workspace_at(
@@ -59,15 +66,17 @@ pub fn load_workspace(
         Box::new(loader)
     };
 
-    let proc_macro_client = if load_config.with_proc_macro {
-        let (server_path, args): (_, &[_]) = match ws.find_sysroot_proc_macro_srv() {
-            Some(server_path) => (server_path, &[]),
-            None => (AbsPathBuf::assert(std::env::current_exe()?), &["proc-macro"]),
-        };
-
-        ProcMacroServer::spawn(server_path, args).map_err(|e| e.to_string())
-    } else {
-        Err("proc macro server disabled".to_owned())
+    let proc_macro_client = match &load_config.with_proc_macro_server {
+        ProcMacroServerChoice::Sysroot => ws
+            .find_sysroot_proc_macro_srv()
+            .ok_or_else(|| "failed to find sysroot proc-macro server".to_owned())
+            .and_then(|it| {
+                ProcMacroServer::spawn(it, identity::<&[&str]>(&[])).map_err(|e| e.to_string())
+            }),
+        ProcMacroServerChoice::Explicit(path, args) => {
+            ProcMacroServer::spawn(path.clone(), args).map_err(|e| e.to_string())
+        }
+        ProcMacroServerChoice::None => Err("proc macro server disabled".to_owned()),
     };
 
     let crate_graph = ws.to_crate_graph(
@@ -157,7 +166,7 @@ mod tests {
         let cargo_config = CargoConfig::default();
         let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
             load_out_dirs_from_check: false,
-            with_proc_macro: false,
+            with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::None,
             prefill_caches: false,
         };
         let (host, _vfs, _proc_macro) =
diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/lsif.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/lsif.rs
index af8356d041..60a7f99ccd 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/lsif.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/lsif.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use lsp_types::{self, lsif};
 use project_model::{CargoConfig, ProjectManifest, ProjectWorkspace};
 use vfs::{AbsPathBuf, Vfs};
 
+use crate::cli::load_cargo::ProcMacroServerChoice;
 use crate::cli::{
     flags,
     load_cargo::{load_workspace, LoadCargoConfig},
@@ -291,7 +292,7 @@ impl flags::Lsif {
         let no_progress = &|_| ();
         let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
             load_out_dirs_from_check: true,
-            with_proc_macro: true,
+            with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::Sysroot,
             prefill_caches: false,
         };
         let path = AbsPathBuf::assert(env::current_dir()?.join(&self.path));
diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/scip.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/scip.rs
index b050d1e95a..9a04fbea77 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/scip.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/scip.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ use std::{
     time::Instant,
 };
 
-use crate::line_index::{LineEndings, LineIndex, PositionEncoding};
+use crate::{
+    cli::load_cargo::ProcMacroServerChoice,
+    line_index::{LineEndings, LineIndex, PositionEncoding},
+};
 use hir::Name;
 use ide::{
     LineCol, MonikerDescriptorKind, StaticIndex, StaticIndexedFile, TextRange, TokenId,
@@ -31,7 +34,7 @@ impl flags::Scip {
         let no_progress = &|s| (eprintln!("rust-analyzer: Loading {s}"));
         let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
             load_out_dirs_from_check: true,
-            with_proc_macro: true,
+            with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::Sysroot,
             prefill_caches: true,
         };
         let path = vfs::AbsPathBuf::assert(env::current_dir()?.join(&self.path));
diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/ssr.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/ssr.rs
index 84c4891716..3552f840a1 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/ssr.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/ssr.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use project_model::CargoConfig;
 
 use crate::cli::{
     flags,
-    load_cargo::{load_workspace_at, LoadCargoConfig},
+    load_cargo::{load_workspace_at, LoadCargoConfig, ProcMacroServerChoice},
     Result,
 };
 
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ impl flags::Ssr {
         let cargo_config = CargoConfig::default();
         let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
             load_out_dirs_from_check: true,
-            with_proc_macro: true,
+            with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::Sysroot,
             prefill_caches: false,
         };
         let (host, vfs, _proc_macro) = load_workspace_at(
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ impl flags::Search {
         let cargo_config = CargoConfig::default();
         let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
             load_out_dirs_from_check: true,
-            with_proc_macro: true,
+            with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::Sysroot,
             prefill_caches: false,
         };
         let (host, _vfs, _proc_macro) = load_workspace_at(
diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/integrated_benchmarks.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/integrated_benchmarks.rs
index 7c13d9bad2..e8912b9079 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/integrated_benchmarks.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/integrated_benchmarks.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use project_model::CargoConfig;
 use test_utils::project_root;
 use vfs::{AbsPathBuf, VfsPath};
 
-use crate::cli::load_cargo::{load_workspace_at, LoadCargoConfig};
+use crate::cli::load_cargo::{load_workspace_at, LoadCargoConfig, ProcMacroServerChoice};
 
 #[test]
 fn integrated_highlighting_benchmark() {
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ fn integrated_highlighting_benchmark() {
     let cargo_config = CargoConfig::default();
     let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
         load_out_dirs_from_check: true,
-        with_proc_macro: false,
+        with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::None,
         prefill_caches: false,
     };
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ fn integrated_completion_benchmark() {
     let cargo_config = CargoConfig::default();
     let load_cargo_config = LoadCargoConfig {
         load_out_dirs_from_check: true,
-        with_proc_macro: false,
+        with_proc_macro_server: ProcMacroServerChoice::None,
         prefill_caches: true,
     };