diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/add-hardening.sh b/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/add-hardening.sh
index 5282d17fce2..0f62aa49542 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/add-hardening.sh
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/add-hardening.sh
@@ -1,33 +1,45 @@
-hardeningFlags=(relro bindnow)
-# Intentionally word-split in case 'hardeningEnable' is defined in
-# Nix. Also, our bootstrap tools version of bash is old enough that
-# undefined arrays trip `set -u`.
-if [[ -v hardeningEnable[@] ]]; then
-  hardeningFlags+=(${hardeningEnable[@]})
+allHardeningFlags=(pie relro bindnow)
+hardeningFlags=()
+
+declare -A hardeningEnableMap=()
+
+# Intentionally word-split in case 'NIX_HARDENING_ENABLE' is defined in Nix. The
+# array expansion also prevents undefined variables from causing trouble with
+# `set -u`.
+for flag in ${NIX_@infixSalt@_HARDENING_ENABLE-}; do
+  hardeningEnableMap[$flag]=1
+done
+
+# Remove unsupported flags.
+if (( "${NIX_DEBUG:-0}" >= 1 )); then
+  declare -A hardeningDisableMap=()
 fi
-hardeningLDFlags=()
-
-declare -A hardeningDisableMap
-
-# Intentionally word-split in case 'hardeningDisable' is defined in Nix.
-for flag in ${hardeningDisable[@]:-IGNORED_KEY} @hardening_unsupported_flags@
-do
-  hardeningDisableMap[$flag]=1
+for flag in @hardening_unsupported_flags@; do
+  [[ -n ${hardeningEnableMap[$flag]} ]] || continue
+  if (( "${NIX_DEBUG:-0}" >= 1 )); then
+    hardeningDisableMap[$flag]=1
+  fi
+  unset hardeningEnableMap[$flag]
 done
 
 if (( "${NIX_DEBUG:-0}" >= 1 )); then
+  # Determine which flags were effectively disabled so we can report below.
+  for flag in ${allHardeningFlags[@]}; do
+    if [[ -z "${hardeningEnableMap[$flag]-}" ]]; then
+      hardeningDisableMap[$flag]=1
+    fi
+  done
+
   printf 'HARDENING: disabled flags:' >&2
   (( "${#hardeningDisableMap[@]}" )) && printf ' %q' "${!hardeningDisableMap[@]}" >&2
   echo >&2
 fi
 
-if [[ -z "${hardeningDisableMap[all]:-}" ]]; then
+if (( "${#hardeningEnableMap[@]}" )); then
   if (( "${NIX_DEBUG:-0}" >= 1 )); then
     echo 'HARDENING: Is active (not completely disabled with "all" flag)' >&2;
   fi
-  for flag in "${hardeningFlags[@]}"
-  do
-    if [[ -z "${hardeningDisableMap[$flag]:-}" ]]; then
+  for flag in "${!hardeningEnableMap[@]}"; do
       case $flag in
         pie)
           if [[ ! ("$*" =~ " -shared " || "$*" =~ " -static ") ]]; then
@@ -48,6 +60,5 @@ if [[ -z "${hardeningDisableMap[all]:-}" ]]; then
           # tool supports each flag.
           ;;
       esac
-    fi
   done
 fi
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/ld-wrapper.sh b/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/ld-wrapper.sh
index bbab9a6b71d..672a3dcbe38 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/ld-wrapper.sh
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/ld-wrapper.sh
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ fi
 source @out@/nix-support/add-hardening.sh
 
 extraAfter=()
-extraBefore=("${hardeningLDFlags[@]}")
+extraBefore=(${hardeningLDFlags[@]+"${hardeningLDFlags[@]}"})
 
 if [ -z "${NIX_@infixSalt@_LDFLAGS_SET:-}" ]; then
     extraAfter+=($NIX_@infixSalt@_LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/setup-hook.sh b/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/setup-hook.sh
index 48a00b0b9b0..831ee9b0387 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/setup-hook.sh
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/setup-hook.sh
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ do
     fi
 done
 
+# If unset, assume the default hardening flags.
+: ${NIX_HARDENING_ENABLE="fortify stackprotector pic strictoverflow format relro bindnow"}
+export NIX_HARDENING_ENABLE
+
 # No local scope in sourced file
 unset -v role_pre role_post cmd upper_case
 set +u
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/add-hardening.sh b/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/add-hardening.sh
index de5eb2506a8..0b483c12e84 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/add-hardening.sh
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/add-hardening.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-allHardeningFlags=(fortify stackprotector pie pic strictoverflow format relro bindnow)
+allHardeningFlags=(fortify stackprotector pie pic strictoverflow format)
 hardeningCFlags=()
 
 declare -A hardeningEnableMap=()
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ done
 
 # Remove unsupported flags.
 if (( "${NIX_DEBUG:-0}" >= 1 )); then
-    declare -A hardeningDisableMap=()
+  declare -A hardeningDisableMap=()
 fi
 for flag in @hardening_unsupported_flags@; do
   [[ -n ${hardeningEnableMap[$flag]} ]] || continue
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/cc-wrapper.sh b/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/cc-wrapper.sh
index 15118d99db7..8a3cfb694b4 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/cc-wrapper.sh
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/cc-wrapper.sh
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ source @out@/nix-support/add-hardening.sh
 
 # Add the flags for the C compiler proper.
 extraAfter=($NIX_@infixSalt@_CFLAGS_COMPILE)
-
 extraBefore=(${hardeningCFlags[@]+"${hardeningCFlags[@]}"})
 
 if [ "$dontLink" != 1 ]; then
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/setup-hook.sh b/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/setup-hook.sh
index 29a7306b9b7..15b84dca279 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/setup-hook.sh
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/setup-hook.sh
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ export ${role_pre}CXX=@named_cxx@
 export CC${role_post}=@named_cc@
 export CXX${role_post}=@named_cxx@
 
+# If unset, assume the default hardening flags.
+: ${NIX_HARDENING_ENABLE="fortify stackprotector pic strictoverflow format relro bindnow"}
+export NIX_HARDENING_ENABLE
+
 # No local scope in sourced file
 unset -v role_pre role_post
 set +u
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/make-derivation.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/make-derivation.nix
index be98dee01ab..6f3896b4906 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/make-derivation.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/make-derivation.nix
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ rec {
     # TODO(@Ericson2314): Make this more modular, and not O(n^2).
     let
       supportedHardeningFlags = [ "fortify" "stackprotector" "pie" "pic" "strictoverflow" "format" "relro" "bindnow" ];
+      defaultHardeningFlags = lib.remove "pie" supportedHardeningFlags;
+      enabledHardeningOptions =
+        if builtins.elem "all" hardeningDisable
+        then []
+        else lib.subtractLists hardeningDisable (defaultHardeningFlags ++ hardeningEnable);
       # hardeningDisable additionally supports "all".
       erroneousHardeningFlags = lib.subtractLists supportedHardeningFlags (hardeningEnable ++ lib.remove "all" hardeningDisable);
     in if builtins.length erroneousHardeningFlags != 0
@@ -115,19 +120,6 @@ rec {
         ]
       ];
 
-      defaultHardeningFlags = [
-        "fortify" "stackprotector" "pic" "strictoverflow" "format" "relro" "bindnow"
-      ];
-
-      hardeningDisable = lib.toList (attrs.hardeningDisable or [ ]);
-
-      hardeningEnable = lib.toList (attrs.hardeningEnable or [ ]);
-
-      enabledHardeningOptions =
-        if builtins.elem "all" hardeningDisable
-        then []
-        else lib.subtractLists hardeningDisable (defaultHardeningFlags ++ hardeningEnable);
-
       outputs' =
         outputs ++
         (if separateDebugInfo then assert stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux; [ "debug" ] else []);
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/setup.sh b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/setup.sh
index 62bc2c2af6f..5f3808e9588 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/setup.sh
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/setup.sh
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@ fi
 
 : ${outputs:=out}
 
-# If unset, assume the default hardening flags.
-: ${NIX_HARDENING_ENABLE="fortify stackprotector pic strictoverflow format relro bindnow"}
-export NIX_HARDENING_ENABLE
-
 ######################################################################
 # Hook handling.