diff --git a/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/generic-builder.nix b/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/generic-builder.nix
index 06903d83358..5d8a28f5c2b 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/generic-builder.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/generic-builder.nix
@@ -152,10 +152,11 @@ let
   allPkgconfigDepends = pkgconfigDepends ++ libraryPkgconfigDepends ++ executablePkgconfigDepends ++
                         optionals doCheck testPkgconfigDepends ++ optionals doBenchmark benchmarkPkgconfigDepends;
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = buildTools ++ libraryToolDepends ++ executableToolDepends ++ [ removeReferencesTo ];
+  nativeBuildInputs = optional (allPkgconfigDepends != []) pkgconfig ++
+                      buildTools ++ libraryToolDepends ++ executableToolDepends ++ [ removeReferencesTo ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = buildDepends ++ libraryHaskellDepends ++ executableHaskellDepends;
   otherBuildInputs = setupHaskellDepends ++ extraLibraries ++ librarySystemDepends ++ executableSystemDepends ++
-                     optionals (allPkgconfigDepends != []) ([pkgconfig] ++ allPkgconfigDepends) ++
+                     optionals (allPkgconfigDepends != []) allPkgconfigDepends ++
                      optionals doCheck (testDepends ++ testHaskellDepends ++ testSystemDepends ++ testToolDepends) ++
                      # ghcjs's hsc2hs calls out to the native hsc2hs
                      optional isGhcjs nativeGhc ++