diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/perl-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/perl-packages.nix
index 0034db8864c..0e5dde02a1d 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/perl-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/perl-packages.nix
@@ -17600,9 +17600,11 @@ let
       url = mirror://cpan/authors/id/T/TO/TODDR/XML-Parser-2.44.tar.gz;
       sha256 = "05ij0g6bfn27iaggxf8nl5rhlwx6f6p6xmdav6rjcly3x5zd1s8s";
     };
-    patchPhase = if stdenv.isCygwin then ''
+    patchPhase = stdenv.lib.optionalString (stdenv.buildPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform) ''
+      substituteInPlace Expat/Makefile.PL --replace 'use English;' '#'
+    '' + stdenv.lib.optionalString stdenv.isCygwin ''
       sed -i"" -e "s@my \$compiler = File::Spec->catfile(\$path, \$cc\[0\]) \. \$Config{_exe};@my \$compiler = File::Spec->catfile(\$path, \$cc\[0\]) \. (\$^O eq 'cygwin' ? \"\" : \$Config{_exe});@" inc/Devel/CheckLib.pm
-    '' else null;
+    '';
     makeMakerFlags = "EXPATLIBPATH=${pkgs.expat.out}/lib EXPATINCPATH=${pkgs.expat.dev}/include";
     propagatedBuildInputs = [ LWP ];
   };