diff --git a/mesonbuild/compilers/cuda.py b/mesonbuild/compilers/cuda.py
index 0a26bedb8..57935d8fa 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/compilers/cuda.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/compilers/cuda.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import typing
 from .. import mlog
 from ..mesonlib import EnvironmentException, MachineChoice, Popen_safe
 from .compilers import (Compiler, cuda_buildtype_args, cuda_optimization_args,
-                        cuda_debug_args, CompilerType)
+                        cuda_debug_args)
 
 if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ..environment import Environment  # noqa: F401
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class CudaCompiler(Compiler):
         super().__init__(exelist, version, for_machine, **kwargs)
         self.is_cross = is_cross
         self.exe_wrapper = exe_wrapper
-        self.id = CudaCompiler.cuda_id()
+        self.id = 'nvcc'
         default_warn_args = []
         self.warn_args = {'0': [],
                           '1': default_warn_args,
@@ -42,10 +42,6 @@ class CudaCompiler(Compiler):
                           '3': default_warn_args + ['-Xcompiler=-Wextra',
                                                     '-Xcompiler=-Wpedantic']}
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def cuda_id():
-        return 'nvcc'
-
     def needs_static_linker(self):
         return False
 
diff --git a/mesonbuild/environment.py b/mesonbuild/environment.py
index b53c6f5c2..7e1ca9dc1 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/environment.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/environment.py
@@ -697,9 +697,6 @@ class Environment:
             `-Xlinker=--version`) you must pass as a list.
         :extra_args: Any addtional arguments rquired (such as a source file)
         """
-        if CudaCompiler.cuda_id() in compiler:
-            return CudaLinker(compiler, for_machine, 'nvlink', prefix, version=CudaLinker.parse_version())
-
         extra_args = typing.cast(typing.List[str], extra_args or [])
         if isinstance(prefix, str):
             check_args = [prefix + '--version'] + extra_args
@@ -963,7 +960,7 @@ class Environment:
             # Luckily, the "V" also makes it very simple to extract
             # the full version:
             version = out.strip().split('V')[-1]
-            linker = self._guess_nix_linker(compiler, for_machine, CudaCompiler.LINKER_PREFIX)
+            linker = CudaLinker(compiler, for_machine, 'nvlink', CudaCompiler.LINKER_PREFIX, version=CudaLinker.parse_version())
             return CudaCompiler(ccache + compiler, version, for_machine, exe_wrap, linker=linker)
         raise EnvironmentException('Could not find suitable CUDA compiler: "' + ' '.join(compilers) + '"')