diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
index 6739ce3f5c8..f4801d674e8 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
@@ -79,15 +79,17 @@ in rec {
           inherit shell;
           inherit (last) stdenv;
 
-          nativeTools  = true;
-          nativePrefix = bootstrapTools;
+          nativeTools  = false;
           nativeLibc   = false;
           buildPackages = lib.optionalAttrs (last ? stdenv) {
             inherit (last) stdenv;
           };
           libc         = last.pkgs.darwin.Libsystem;
           isClang      = true;
-          cc           = { name = "clang-9.9.9"; outPath = bootstrapTools; };
+          cc           = { name = "clang-9.9.9";     outPath = bootstrapTools; };
+          binutils     = { name = "binutils-9.9.9";  outPath = bootstrapTools; };
+          coreutils    = { name = "coreutils-9.9.9"; outPath = bootstrapTools; };
+          gnugrep      = { name = "gnugrep-9.9.9";   outPath = bootstrapTools; };
         };
 
         preHook = stage0.stdenv.lib.optionalString (shell == "${bootstrapTools}/bin/bash") ''
@@ -267,7 +269,16 @@ in rec {
     extraPreHook = ''
       export PATH_LOCALE=${pkgs.darwin.locale}/share/locale
     '';
-    overrides = persistent;
+    overrides = self: super: (persistent self super) // {
+      # Hack to make sure we don't link ncurses in bootstrap tools. The proper
+      # solution is to avoid passing -L/nix-store/...-bootstrap-tools/lib,
+      # quite a sledgehammer just to get the C runtime.
+      gettext = super.gettext.overrideAttrs (old: {
+         configureFlags = old.configureFlags ++ [
+           "--disable-curses"
+         ];
+      });
+    };
   };
 
   stdenvDarwin = prevStage: let