diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/grub/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/grub/default.nix
index ab7951e8e5e..9a1ee4319df 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/misc/grub/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/grub/default.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 {stdenv, fetchurl}:
 
+if stdenv.system == "x86_64-linux" then
+  abort "Grub doesn't build on x86_64-linux.  You should use the build for i686-linux instead."
+else
+
 stdenv.mkDerivation {
   name = "grub-0.97";
   src = fetchurl {
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 805b6d8ef16..84becd19e5e 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -369,9 +369,13 @@ rec {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv;
   };
 
-  grub = import ../tools/misc/grub {
-    inherit fetchurl stdenv;
-  };
+  grub =
+    if system == "x86_64-linux" then
+      (import ./all-packages.nix {system = "i686-linux";}).grub
+    else 
+      import ../tools/misc/grub {
+        inherit fetchurl stdenv;
+      };
 
   grubWrapper = import ../tools/misc/grub-wrapper {
      inherit stdenv grub diffutils gnused gnugrep coreutils;