diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
index 5f13418aa58..328ed715bae 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
@@ -73,13 +73,14 @@ with pkgs;
           optionalExtensions = cond: as: if cond then as else [];
           python2Extension = import ../../../top-level/python2-packages.nix;
           extensions = lib.composeManyExtensions ((optionalExtensions (!self.isPy3k) [python2Extension]) ++ [ overrides ]);
+          aliases = self: super: lib.optionalAttrs (config.allowAliases or true) (import ../../../top-level/python-aliases.nix lib self super);
         in lib.makeScopeWithSplicing
           pkgs.splicePackages
           pkgs.newScope
           otherSplices
           keep
           extra
-          (lib.extends extensions pythonPackagesFun))
+          (lib.extends (lib.composeExtensions aliases extensions) pythonPackagesFun))
         {
           overrides = packageOverrides;
         };
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-aliases.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-aliases.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..761b187033f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-aliases.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+lib: self: super:
+
+with self;
+
+let
+  # Removing recurseForDerivation prevents derivations of aliased attribute
+  # set to appear while listing all the packages available.
+  removeRecurseForDerivations = alias: with lib;
+      if alias.recurseForDerivations or false then
+            removeAttrs alias ["recurseForDerivations"]
+                else alias;
+
+  # Disabling distribution prevents top-level aliases for non-recursed package
+  # sets from building on Hydra.
+  removeDistribute = alias: with lib;
+    if isDerivation alias then
+      dontDistribute alias
+    else alias;
+
+  # Make sure that we are not shadowing something from
+  # python-packages.nix.
+  checkInPkgs = n: alias: if builtins.hasAttr n super
+                          then throw "Alias ${n} is still in python-packages.nix"
+                          else alias;
+
+  mapAliases = aliases:
+    lib.mapAttrs (n: alias: removeDistribute
+                             (removeRecurseForDerivations
+                              (checkInPkgs n alias)))
+                     aliases;
+in
+
+  ### Deprecated aliases - for backward compatibility
+
+mapAliases ({
+  smart_open = smart-open; # added 2021-03-14
+})