diff --git a/pkgs/development/r-modules/cran-packages.nix b/pkgs/development/r-modules/cran-packages.nix
index 9dd1a1691eb..5b1671bc301 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/r-modules/cran-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/r-modules/cran-packages.nix
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ let
 
   inherit (pkgs) R fetchurl stdenv;
 
-  buildRPackage = import ./generic R;
+  buildRPackage = import ./generic-builder.nix R;
 
   derive = { name, version, sha256, depends ? [] }: buildRPackage {
     name = "${name}-${version}";
@@ -5510,7 +5510,7 @@ let self = _self // overrides; _self = with self; {
   XLConnect = derive { name="XLConnect"; version="0.2-7"; sha256="15vqjlcdh51y3riqaifvj1gk8sfl657dyicbwagnwqq4vsniqihi"; depends=[rJava]; };
   xlsx = derive { name="xlsx"; version="0.5.5"; sha256="0dl0j0rk9m0chv9yxx92gbbfv9mf5igvk75jrpm2105l2cq5j8jc"; depends=[rJava xlsxjars]; };
   xlsxjars = derive { name="xlsxjars"; version="0.6.0"; sha256="0mjfvd433iz742gn3avaq48172yi5hhd0ajc3v22y1j4k9w82pr7"; depends=[rJava]; };
-  XML = derive { name="XML"; version="3.98-1.1"; sha256="0n9i6746211wihglbpsgalj2cyvggn4rv6a4fbavqwnjw3h1hwwl"; depends=[]; };
+  XML = derive { name="XML"; version="3.98-1.1"; sha256="0n9i6746211wihglbpsgalj2cyvggn4rv6a4fbavqwnjw3h1hwwl"; depends=[ pkgs.libxml2 ]; };
   XML2R = derive { name="XML2R"; version="0.0.6"; sha256="0azfh950r2b7ck3n1vzk3mdll7zy844nx3mbk676jxnj8gg7nxk5"; depends=[XML RCurl plyr]; };
   XNomial = derive { name="XNomial"; version="1.0.1"; sha256="134bwglqhgah7v3w6ir65dch2dwp5h4vldw521ba74l5v9b2j2h4"; depends=[]; };
   xoi = derive { name="xoi"; version="0.61-1"; sha256="0ypy0rb0f0bns41vjzyln04k3hypgr3wysqbdi0b0r14ip5rb47k"; depends=[qtl]; };
diff --git a/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic-builder.nix b/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic-builder.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e1b3a6cc1a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic-builder.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+R:
+
+{ name, buildInputs ? [], ... } @ attrs:
+
+R.stdenv.mkDerivation ({
+  name = "r-" + name;
+
+  buildInputs = buildInputs ++ [R];
+
+  configurePhase = ''
+    runHook preConfigure
+    export R_LIBS_SITE="$R_LIBS_SITE''${R_LIBS_SITE:+:}$out/library"
+    runHook postConfigure
+  '';
+
+  buildPhase = ''
+    runHook preBuild
+    runHook postBuild
+  '';
+
+  installPhase = ''
+    runHook preInstall
+    mkdir -p $out/library
+    R CMD INSTALL -l $out/library $src
+    runHook postInstall
+  '';
+
+  postFixup = ''
+    if test -e $out/nix-support/propagated-native-build-inputs; then
+        ln -s $out/nix-support/propagated-native-build-inputs $out/nix-support/propagated-user-env-packages
+    fi
+  '';
+} // attrs)
diff --git a/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic/builder.sh b/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic/builder.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 0c5d934c10c..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic/builder.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-source $stdenv/setup
-
-export R_LIBS_SITE="$R_LIBS_SITE${R_LIBS_SITE:+:}$out/library"
-
-
-if test -n "$rPreHook"; then
-    eval "$rPreHook"
-fi
-
-installPhase() {
-	runHook preInstall
-	mkdir -p $out/library
-	R CMD INSTALL -l $out/library $src
-	runHook postInstall
-}
-
-postFixup() {
-    if test -e $out/nix-support/propagated-native-build-inputs; then
-        ln -s $out/nix-support/propagated-native-build-inputs $out/nix-support/propagated-user-env-packages
-    fi
-}
-
-genericBuild
diff --git a/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic/default.nix b/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 1e6977430d9..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/development/r-modules/generic/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-R:
-
-{ name, buildInputs ? [], ... } @ attrs:
-
-R.stdenv.mkDerivation (attrs // {
-  name = "r-" + name;
-  builder = ./builder.sh;
-  buildInputs = buildInputs ++ [ R ];
-})
diff --git a/pkgs/development/r-modules/wrapper/default.nix b/pkgs/development/r-modules/wrapper.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from pkgs/development/r-modules/wrapper/default.nix
rename to pkgs/development/r-modules/wrapper.nix
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 457d347c143..5f7841daa05 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -6434,7 +6434,7 @@ let
     withRecommendedPackages = false;
   };
 
-  rWrapper = callPackage ../development/r-modules/wrapper {
+  rWrapper = callPackage ../development/r-modules/wrapper.nix {
     # Those packages are usually installed as part of the R build.
     recommendedPackages = with rPackages; [ MASS lattice Matrix nlme
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