diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/parsing/bison/bison-2.3.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/parsing/bison/bison-2.3.nix
index ae90f2e83d0..7ebdb863d58 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/parsing/bison/bison-2.3.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/parsing/bison/bison-2.3.nix
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     url = mirror://gnu/bison/bison-2.3.tar.bz2;
     md5 = "c18640c6ec31a169d351e3117ecce3ec";
   };
-  buildInputs = [m4];
+  buildNativeInputs = [m4];
 
   meta = {
     description = "GNU Bison, a Yacc-compatible parser generator";
diff --git a/pkgs/misc/uboot/default.nix b/pkgs/misc/uboot/default.nix
index ac3f49035a1..f1436623adc 100644
--- a/pkgs/misc/uboot/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/misc/uboot/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {stdenv, fetchurl, unzip}:
 
-# assert stdenv.system == "armv5tel-linux";
+# We should enable this check once we have the cross target system information
+# assert stdenv.system == "armv5tel-linux" || crossConfig == "armv5tel-linux";
 
 # All this file is made for the Marvell Sheevaplug
    
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     if test -z "$crossTarget"; then
         make clean all
     else
-        make clean all ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=$crossTarget-
+        make clean all ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=$crossConfig-
     fi
   '';
 
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
index ecbe2dbcf71..85ff46a339d 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
@@ -110,29 +110,25 @@ rec {
   # Return a modified stdenv that adds a cross compiler to the
   # builds.
   makeStdenvCross = stdenv: cross: binutilsCross: gccCross: stdenv //
-    { mkDerivation = {name, buildInputs ? [], hostInputs ? [],
-            propagatedBuildInputs ? [], propagatedHostInputs ? [], ...}@args: let
+    { mkDerivation = {name, buildInputs ? [], buildNativeInputs ? [],
+            propagatedBuildInputs ? [], ...}@args: let
             # propagatedBuildInputs exists temporarily as another name for
             # propagatedHostInputs.
-            buildInputsDrvs = map (drv: drv.buildDrv) buildInputs;
-            hostInputsDrvs = map (drv: drv.hostDrv) hostInputs;
-            propagatedHostInputsDrvs = map (drv: drv.buildDrv) (propagatedBuildInputs
-                ++ propagatedHostInputs);
-            buildDrv = stdenv.mkDerivation (args // {
-                # buildInputs in the base stdenv will be named hostInputs
-                buildInputs = buildInputsDrvs ++ hostInputsDrvs;
-                # Should be propagatedHostInputs one day:
-                propagatedBuildInputs = propagatedHostInputsDrvs;
-            });
+            getBuildDrv = drv : if (drv ? buildDrv) then drv.buildDrv else drv;
+            buildInputsDrvs = map (getBuildDrv) buildNativeInputs;
+            hostInputsDrvs = map (drv: drv.hostDrv) buildInputs;
+            hostInputsDrvsAsBuildInputs = map (getBuildDrv) buildInputs;
+            propagatedHostInputsDrvs = map (drv: drv.buildDrv) (propagatedBuildInputs);
+            buildDrv = stdenv.mkDerivation args;
             hostDrv = if (cross == null) then buildDrv else
-                stdenv.mkDerivation (args // { 
+                stdenv.mkDerivation (args // {
                     name = name + "-" + cross.config;
                     buildInputs = buildInputsDrvs
                       ++ [ gccCross binutilsCross ];
 
                     crossConfig = cross.config;
                 });
-        in hostDrv // {
+        in buildDrv // {
             inherit hostDrv buildDrv;
         };
     } // { inherit cross; };
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
index de525d479f9..d9ce8d6f825 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
@@ -45,14 +45,20 @@ let
         mkDerivation = attrs:
           (derivation (
             (removeAttrs attrs ["meta" "passthru"])
-            //
+            // (let
+                buildInputs = if attrs ? buildInputs then attrs.buildInputs
+                    else [];
+                buildNativeInputs = if attrs ? buildNativeInputs then attrs.buildNativeInputs
+                    else [];
+            in
             {
               builder = if attrs ? realBuilder then attrs.realBuilder else shell;
               args = if attrs ? args then attrs.args else
                 ["-e" (if attrs ? builder then attrs.builder else ./default-builder.sh)];
               stdenv = result;
               system = result.system;
-            })
+              buildInputs = buildInputs ++ buildNativeInputs;
+            }))
           )
           # The meta attribute is passed in the resulting attribute set,
           # but it's not part of the actual derivation, i.e., it's not
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
index cf67e707173..e04b81b152b 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ rec {
       extraAttrs = extraAttrs // {inherit fetchurl;};
     };
 
-
   # Build a dummy stdenv with no GCC or working fetchurl.  This is
   # because we need a stdenv to build the GCC wrapper and fetchurl.
   stdenvLinuxBoot0 = stdenvBootFun {
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index a2333f1a6a6..57d4061c7c4 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -216,19 +216,18 @@ let
 
   defaultStdenv = allStdenvs.stdenv;
 
-  stdenvNoCross = 
+  stdenvCross = makeStdenvCross defaultStdenv crossSystem (binutilsCross crossSystem)
+    (gccCrossStageFinal crossSystem);
+
+  stdenv = 
     if bootStdenv != null then bootStdenv else
       let changer = getConfig ["replaceStdenv"] null;
       in if changer != null then
         changer {
-          stdenv = defaultStdenv;
+          stdenv = stdenvCross;
           overrideSetup = overrideSetup;
         }
-      else defaultStdenv;
-
-  stdenv = if (bootStdenv != null || crossSystem == null) then stdenvNoCross else
-    makeStdenvCross stdenvNoCross crossSystem (binutilsCross crossSystem)
-    (gccCrossStageFinal crossSystem);
+      else stdenvCross;
 
   # A stdenv capable of building 32-bit binaries.  On x86_64-linux,
   # it uses GCC compiled with multilib support; on i686-linux, it's
@@ -306,8 +305,8 @@ let
   # from being built.
   fetchurl = useFromStdenv "fetchurl"
     (import ../build-support/fetchurl {
-      curl = curlNoCross;
-      stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
+      curl = curl;
+      stdenv = stdenv;
     });
 
   # fetchurlBoot is used for curl and its dependencies in order to
@@ -648,12 +647,6 @@ let
     sslSupport = ! ((stdenv ? isDietLibC) || (stdenv ? isStatic));
   };
 
-  curlNoCross = curl.override {
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-    zlib = zlib.override { stdenv = stdenvNoCross; };
-    openssl = opensslNoCross;
-  };
-
   curlftpfs = import ../tools/networking/curlftpfs {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv fuse curl pkgconfig zlib glib;
   };
@@ -1079,10 +1072,6 @@ let
     inherit fetchurl stdenv;
   };
 
-  lzmaNoCross = lzma.override {
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-  };
-
   xz = import ../tools/compression/xz {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv lib;
   };
@@ -1896,17 +1885,13 @@ let
   gcc43 = useFromStdenv "gcc" gcc43_real;
 
   gcc43_real = lowPrio (wrapGCC (makeOverridable (import ../development/compilers/gcc-4.3) {
-    inherit fetchurl gmp mpfr noSysDirs;
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-    texinfo = texinfoNoCross;
+    inherit stdenv fetchurl texinfo gmp mpfr noSysDirs;
     profiledCompiler = true;
   }));
 
   gcc43_realCross = cross : makeOverridable (import ../development/compilers/gcc-4.3) {
     #stdenv = overrideGCC stdenv (wrapGCCWith (import ../build-support/gcc-wrapper) glibc_multi gcc);
-    inherit fetchurl gmp mpfr noSysDirs cross;
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-    texinfo = texinfoNoCross;
+    inherit stdenv fetchurl texinfo gmp mpfr noSysDirs cross;
     binutilsCross = binutilsCross cross;
     glibcCross = glibcCross cross;
     profiledCompiler = false;
@@ -2343,8 +2328,7 @@ let
     import ../build-support/gcc-cross-wrapper {
       nativeTools = false;
       nativeLibc = false;
-      inherit gcc binutils libc shell name cross;
-      stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
+      inherit stdenv gcc binutils libc shell name cross;
     };
 
   # FIXME: This is a specific hack for GCC-UPC.  Eventually, we may
@@ -2454,11 +2438,6 @@ let
 
   perl = if system != "i686-cygwin" then perl510 else sysPerl;
 
-  perlNoCross = perl.override
-  {
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-  };
-
   # FIXME: unixODBC needs patching on Darwin (see darwinports)
   phpOld = import ../development/interpreters/php {
     inherit stdenv fetchurl flex bison libxml2 apacheHttpd;
@@ -2731,8 +2710,7 @@ let
     });
 
   binutilsCross = cross : import ../development/tools/misc/binutils {
-      inherit fetchurl cross;
-      stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
+      inherit stdenv fetchurl cross;
       noSysDirs = true;
   };
 
@@ -2873,10 +2851,6 @@ let
 
   m4 = gnum4;
 
-  m4NoCross = m4.override {
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-  };
-
   global = import ../development/tools/misc/global {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv;
   };
@@ -3077,12 +3051,6 @@ let
     inherit fetchurl stdenv ncurses lzma;
   };
 
-  texinfoNoCross = texinfo.override {
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-    ncurses = ncursesNoCross;
-    lzma = lzmaNoCross;
-  };
-
   texi2html = import ../development/tools/misc/texi2html {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv perl;
   };
@@ -3558,8 +3526,7 @@ let
   };
 
   glibc29Cross = cross : makeOverridable (import ../development/libraries/glibc-2.9) {
-    inherit fetchurl cross;
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
+    inherit stdenv fetchurl cross;
     binutilsCross = binutilsCross cross;
     gccCross = gccCrossStageStatic cross;
     kernelHeaders = kernelHeadersCross cross;
@@ -3612,9 +3579,7 @@ let
   };
 
   gmp = import ../development/libraries/gmp {
-    inherit fetchurl;
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-    m4 = m4NoCross;
+    inherit stdenv fetchurl m4;
   };
 
   # `gmpxx' used to mean "GMP with C++ bindings".  Now `gmp' has C++ bindings
@@ -3636,8 +3601,7 @@ let
 
   #GMP ex-satellite, so better keep it near gmp
   mpfr = import ../development/libraries/mpfr {
-    inherit fetchurl gmp;
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
+    inherit stdenv fetchurl gmp;
   };
 
   gst_all = recurseIntoAttrs (import ../development/libraries/gstreamer {
@@ -4355,10 +4319,6 @@ let
     unicode = (system != "i686-cygwin" && ! (stdenv ? cross));
   };
 
-  ncursesNoCross = ncurses.override {
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-  };
-
   neon = neon026;
 
   neon026 = import ../development/libraries/neon/0.26.nix {
@@ -4443,11 +4403,6 @@ let
     inherit stdenv perl;
   };
 
-  opensslNoCross = openssl.override {
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-    perl = perlNoCross;
-  };
-
   ortp = import ../development/libraries/ortp {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv;
   };
@@ -5547,9 +5502,7 @@ let
   kernelHeaders = kernelHeaders_2_6_28;
 
   kernelHeadersCross = cross : import ../os-specific/linux/kernel-headers/2.6.28.nix {
-    inherit fetchurl cross;
-    stdenv = stdenvNoCross;
-    perl = perlNoCross;
+    inherit stdenv fetchurl cross perl;
   };
 
   kernelHeaders_2_6_18 = import ../os-specific/linux/kernel-headers/2.6.18.5.nix {