diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.0.2.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.0.2.nix
index ddd9c27589a..fdbe4cf902f 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.0.2.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.0.2.nix
@@ -102,15 +102,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     done
     # GHC is a bit confused on its cross terminology, as these would normally be
     # the *host* tools.
-    export CC="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cc"
-    export CXX="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cxx"
-    export LD="${targetCC.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ld"
-    export AS="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}as"
-    export AR="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ar"
-    export NM="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}nm"
-    export RANLIB="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ranlib"
-    export READELF="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}readelf"
-    export STRIP="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}strip"
+    export CC="$CC_FOR_TARGET"
+    export CXX="$CXX_FOR_TARGET"
+    # Use gold to work around https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=16177
+    export LD="${targetCC.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ld${stdenv.lib.optionalString targetPlatform.isAarch32 ".gold"}"
+    export AS="$AS_FOR_TARGET"
+    export AR="$AR_FOR_TARGET"
+    export NM="$NM_FOR_TARGET"
+    export RANLIB="$RANLIB_FOR_TARGET"
+    export READELF="$READELF_FOR_TARGET"
+    export STRIP="$STRIP_FOR_TARGET"
 
     echo -n "${buildMK}" > mk/build.mk
     sed -i -e 's|-isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.5.sdk||' configure
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.2.2.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.2.2.nix
index 79c910e5fd2..6ff1a248372 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.2.2.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.2.2.nix
@@ -134,16 +134,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     done
     # GHC is a bit confused on its cross terminology, as these would normally be
     # the *host* tools.
-    export CC="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cc"
-    export CXX="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cxx"
+    export CC="$CC_FOR_TARGET"
+    export CXX="$CXX_FOR_TARGET"
     # Use gold to work around https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=16177
     export LD="${targetCC.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ld${stdenv.lib.optionalString targetPlatform.isAarch32 ".gold"}"
-    export AS="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}as"
-    export AR="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ar"
-    export NM="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}nm"
-    export RANLIB="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ranlib"
-    export READELF="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}readelf"
-    export STRIP="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}strip"
+    export AS="$AS_FOR_TARGET"
+    export AR="$AR_FOR_TARGET"
+    export NM="$NM_FOR_TARGET"
+    export RANLIB="$RANLIB_FOR_TARGET"
+    export READELF="$READELF_FOR_TARGET"
+    export STRIP="$STRIP_FOR_TARGET"
 
     echo -n "${buildMK}" > mk/build.mk
     sed -i -e 's|-isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.5.sdk||' configure
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.4.3.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.4.3.nix
index 7be209aa5fa..d09806cf50b 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.4.3.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.4.3.nix
@@ -106,16 +106,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (rec {
     done
     # GHC is a bit confused on its cross terminology, as these would normally be
     # the *host* tools.
-    export CC="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cc"
-    export CXX="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cxx"
+    export CC="$CC_FOR_TARGET"
+    export CXX="$CXX_FOR_TARGET"
     # Use gold to work around https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=16177
     export LD="${targetCC.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ld${stdenv.lib.optionalString targetPlatform.isAarch32 ".gold"}"
-    export AS="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}as"
-    export AR="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ar"
-    export NM="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}nm"
-    export RANLIB="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ranlib"
-    export READELF="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}readelf"
-    export STRIP="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}strip"
+    export AS="$AS_FOR_TARGET"
+    export AR="$AR_FOR_TARGET"
+    export NM="$NM_FOR_TARGET"
+    export RANLIB="$RANLIB_FOR_TARGET"
+    export READELF="$READELF_FOR_TARGET"
+    export STRIP="$STRIP_FOR_TARGET"
 
     echo -n "${buildMK}" > mk/build.mk
     sed -i -e 's|-isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.5.sdk||' configure
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.6.1.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.6.1.nix
index 8f0e5215217..f7b32f04e13 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.6.1.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.6.1.nix
@@ -98,16 +98,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (rec {
     done
     # GHC is a bit confused on its cross terminology, as these would normally be
     # the *host* tools.
-    export CC="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cc"
-    export CXX="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cxx"
+    export CC="$CC_FOR_TARGET"
+    export CXX="$CXX_FOR_TARGET"
     # Use gold to work around https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=16177
     export LD="${targetCC.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ld${stdenv.lib.optionalString targetPlatform.isAarch32 ".gold"}"
-    export AS="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}as"
-    export AR="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ar"
-    export NM="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}nm"
-    export RANLIB="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ranlib"
-    export READELF="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}readelf"
-    export STRIP="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}strip"
+    export AS="$AS_FOR_TARGET"
+    export AR="$AR_FOR_TARGET"
+    export NM="$NM_FOR_TARGET"
+    export RANLIB="$RANLIB_FOR_TARGET"
+    export READELF="$READELF_FOR_TARGET"
+    export STRIP="$STRIP_FOR_TARGET"
 
     echo -n "${buildMK}" > mk/build.mk
     sed -i -e 's|-isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.5.sdk||' configure
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/head.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/head.nix
index 2824ce669ee..b0b6ed3bab0 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/head.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/head.nix
@@ -100,16 +100,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     done
     # GHC is a bit confused on its cross terminology, as these would normally be
     # the *host* tools.
-    export CC="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cc"
-    export CXX="${targetCC}/bin/${targetCC.targetPrefix}cxx"
+    export CC="$CC_FOR_TARGET"
+    export CXX="$CXX_FOR_TARGET"
     # Use gold to work around https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=16177
     export LD="${targetCC.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ld${stdenv.lib.optionalString targetPlatform.isAarch32 ".gold"}"
-    export AS="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}as"
-    export AR="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ar"
-    export NM="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}nm"
-    export RANLIB="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}ranlib"
-    export READELF="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}readelf"
-    export STRIP="${targetCC.bintools.bintools}/bin/${targetCC.bintools.targetPrefix}strip"
+    export AS="$AS_FOR_TARGET"
+    export AR="$AR_FOR_TARGET"
+    export NM="$NM_FOR_TARGET"
+    export RANLIB="$RANLIB_FOR_TARGET"
+    export READELF="$READELF_FOR_TARGET"
+    export STRIP="$STRIP_FOR_TARGET"
 
     echo -n "${buildMK}" > mk/build.mk
     echo ${version} >VERSION