diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cb5d71477d810..d445bbdf6e842 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ by running `./x.py --help` or reading the [rustc dev guide][rustcguidebuild].
 2. Clone the [source] with `git`:
 
    ```sh
-   $ git clone https://github.com/rust-lang/rust.git
-   $ cd rust
+   git clone https://github.com/rust-lang/rust.git
+   cd rust
    ```
 
 [source]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ by running `./x.py --help` or reading the [rustc dev guide][rustcguidebuild].
     Copy the default `config.toml.example` to `config.toml` to get started.
 
     ```sh
-    $ cp config.toml.example config.toml
+    cp config.toml.example config.toml
     ```
 
     If you plan to use `x.py install` to create an installation, it is recommended
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ by running `./x.py --help` or reading the [rustc dev guide][rustcguidebuild].
 4. Build and install:
 
     ```sh
-    $ ./x.py build && ./x.py install
+    ./x.py build && ./x.py install
     ```
 
     When complete, `./x.py install` will place several programs into
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ build.
 
    ```sh
    # Update package mirrors (may be needed if you have a fresh install of MSYS2)
-   $ pacman -Sy pacman-mirrors
+   pacman -Sy pacman-mirrors
 
    # Install build tools needed for Rust. If you're building a 32-bit compiler,
    # then replace "x86_64" below with "i686". If you've already got git, python,
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ build.
    # that it is important that you do **not** use the 'python2', 'cmake' and 'ninja'
    # packages from the 'msys2' subsystem. The build has historically been known
    # to fail with these packages.
-   $ pacman -S git \
+   pacman -S git \
                make \
                diffutils \
                tar \
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ build.
 4. Navigate to Rust's source code (or clone it), then build it:
 
    ```sh
-   $ ./x.py build && ./x.py install
+   ./x.py build && ./x.py install
    ```
 
 #### MSVC
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ With these dependencies installed, you can build the compiler in a `cmd.exe`
 shell with:
 
 ```sh
-> python x.py build
+python x.py build
 ```
 
 Currently, building Rust only works with some known versions of Visual Studio. If
@@ -154,8 +154,8 @@ you may need to force rustbuild to use an older version. This can be done
 by manually calling the appropriate vcvars file before running the bootstrap.
 
 ```batch
-> CALL "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat"
-> python x.py build
+CALL "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat"
+python x.py build
 ```
 
 #### Specifying an ABI
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ While it's not the recommended build system, this project also provides a
 configure script and makefile (the latter of which just invokes `x.py`).
 
 ```sh
-$ ./configure
-$ make && sudo make install
+./configure
+make && sudo make install
 ```
 
 When using the configure script, the generated `config.mk` file may override the
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ When using the configure script, the generated `config.mk` file may override the
 If you’d like to build the documentation, it’s almost the same:
 
 ```sh
-$ ./x.py doc
+./x.py doc
 ```
 
 The generated documentation will appear under `doc` in the `build` directory for