diff --git a/docs/BUILD.bazel b/docs/BUILD.bazel
index 5a0e47963..eb4844636 100644
--- a/docs/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/docs/BUILD.bazel
@@ -116,10 +116,12 @@ stardoc_with_diff_test(
     bzl_library_target = "//lib:host_repo",
 )
 
-stardoc_with_diff_test(
-    name = "platform_utils",
-    bzl_library_target = "//lib:platform_utils",
-)
+# NB: we don't bother documenting this, because it just has three trivial functions,
+# and the dependency on @local_config_platform makes the load() break for Bazel 5 users.
+# stardoc_with_diff_test(
+#     name = "platform_utils",
+#     bzl_library_target = "//lib:platform_utils",
+# )
 
 stardoc_with_diff_test(
     name = "stamping",
diff --git a/lib/BUILD.bazel b/lib/BUILD.bazel
index 9cdd3c02f..0369fab6d 100644
--- a/lib/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/lib/BUILD.bazel
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ load("//lib/private:copy_common.bzl", "copy_options")
 load("//lib/private:stamping.bzl", "stamp_build_setting")
 
 # Ensure that users building their own rules can dep on our bzl_library targets for their stardoc
+# This file has a dependency on @local_config_platform which is breaking for Bazel 5 users.
+# gazelle:exclude platform_utils.bzl
 package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:public"])
 
 exports_files(
@@ -277,12 +279,6 @@ bzl_library(
     ],
 )
 
-bzl_library(
-    name = "platform_utils",
-    srcs = ["platform_utils.bzl"],
-    deps = ["//lib/private:platform_utils"],
-)
-
 bzl_library(
     name = "base64",
     srcs = ["base64.bzl"],
diff --git a/lib/private/BUILD.bazel b/lib/private/BUILD.bazel
index bef73226e..5f67119ae 100644
--- a/lib/private/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/lib/private/BUILD.bazel
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 load("@bazel_skylib//:bzl_library.bzl", "bzl_library")
 
+# This file has a dependency on @local_config_platform which is breaking for Bazel 5 users.
+# gazelle:exclude platform_utils.bzl
 exports_files(
     [
         "diff_test_tmpl.sh",
@@ -250,16 +252,6 @@ bzl_library(
     deps = [":repo_utils"],
 )
 
-bzl_library(
-    name = "platform_utils",
-    srcs = [
-        "platform_utils.bzl",
-        "@local_config_platform//:constraints.bzl",  # keep
-    ],
-    visibility = ["//lib:__subpackages__"],
-    deps = [],  # keep
-)
-
 bzl_library(
     name = "tar_toolchain",
     srcs = ["tar_toolchain.bzl"],