diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/26.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/26.nix
index a151006a995..1667bec9932 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/26.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/26.nix
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import ./generic.nix (rec {
   version = "26.3";
   sha256 = "119ldpk7sgn9jlpyngv5y4z3i7bb8q3xp4p0qqi7i5nq39syd42d";
   patches = [
-    ./clean-env-26.patch
     ./tramp-detect-wrapped-gvfsd-26.patch
   ];
 })
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/27.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/27.nix
index 1037c0cd91d..8bc65bad8b5 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/27.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/27.nix
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import ./generic.nix (rec {
   version = "27.1";
   sha256 = "0h9f2wpmp6rb5rfwvqwv1ia1nw86h74p7hnz3vb3gjazj67i4k2a";
   patches = [
-    ./clean-env.patch
     ./tramp-detect-wrapped-gvfsd.patch
   ];
 })
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/clean-env-26.patch b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/clean-env-26.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 88befda899a..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/clean-env-26.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-Dump temacs in an empty environment to prevent -dev paths from ending
-up in the dumped image.
-
-diff --git a/src/Makefile.in b/src/Makefile.in
---- a/src/Makefile.in
-+++ b/src/Makefile.in
-@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ ifeq ($(CANNOT_DUMP),yes)
- 	ln -f temacs$(EXEEXT) $@
- else
- 	unset EMACS_HEAP_EXEC; \
--	LC_ALL=C $(RUN_TEMACS) -batch $(BUILD_DETAILS) -l loadup dump
-+	env -i LC_ALL=C $(RUN_TEMACS) -batch $(BUILD_DETAILS) -l loadup dump
-   ifneq ($(PAXCTL_dumped),)
- 	$(PAXCTL_dumped) $@
-   endif
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/clean-env.patch b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/clean-env.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 2ffe8b777a0..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/clean-env.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-Dump temacs in an empty environment to prevent -dev paths from ending
-up in the dumped image.
-
-diff --git a/src/Makefile.in b/src/Makefile.in
-index fd05a45df5..13f529c253 100644
---- a/src/Makefile.in
-+++ b/src/Makefile.in
-@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ emacs$(EXEEXT): temacs$(EXEEXT) \
-                 lisp.mk $(etc)/DOC $(lisp) \
-                 $(lispsource)/international/charprop.el ${charsets}
- ifeq ($(DUMPING),unexec)
--	LC_ALL=C $(RUN_TEMACS) -batch $(BUILD_DETAILS) -l loadup --temacs=dump
-+	env -i LC_ALL=C $(RUN_TEMACS) -batch $(BUILD_DETAILS) -l loadup --temacs=dump
-   ifneq ($(PAXCTL_dumped),)
- 	      $(PAXCTL_dumped) emacs$(EXEEXT)
-   endif
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/generic.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/generic.nix
index 70e253dd6df..12c3c57bbec 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/generic.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/generic.nix
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ let emacs = stdenv.mkDerivation (lib.optionalAttrs nativeComp {
       rm -fr .git
     '')
 
+    # Reduce closure size by cleaning the environment of the emacs dumper
+    ''
+      substituteInPlace src/Makefile.in \
+        --replace 'RUN_TEMACS = ./temacs' 'RUN_TEMACS = env -i ./temacs'
+    ''
+
     ''
     substituteInPlace lisp/international/mule-cmds.el \
       --replace /usr/share/locale ${gettext}/share/locale
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/macport.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/macport.nix
index 3c57d3bc81a..b8fcc678faa 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/macport.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/macport.nix
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "0f2wzdw2a3ac581322b2y79rlj3c9f33ddrq9allj97r1si6v5xk";
   };
 
-  patches = [ ./clean-env.patch ];
-
   enableParallelBuilding = true;
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [ pkg-config autoconf automake ];
@@ -57,6 +55,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     # Fix sandbox impurities.
     substituteInPlace Makefile.in --replace '/bin/pwd' 'pwd'
     substituteInPlace lib-src/Makefile.in --replace '/bin/pwd' 'pwd'
+
+
+    # Reduce closure size by cleaning the environment of the emacs dumper
+    substituteInPlace src/Makefile.in \
+      --replace 'RUN_TEMACS = ./temacs' 'RUN_TEMACS = env -i ./temacs'
   '';
 
   configureFlags = [