diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libxml2/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/libxml2/default.nix
index 5ead83011c8..b86df4969c2 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/libxml2/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libxml2/default.nix
@@ -40,5 +40,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (rec {
   # this is a pair of ugly hacks to make python stuff install into the right place
   preInstall = ''substituteInPlace python/libxml2mod.la --replace "${python}" "$out"'';
   installFlags = ''pythondir="$(out)/lib/${python.libPrefix}/site-packages"'';
+
+} // stdenv.lib.optionalAttrs (!pythonSupport && stdenv.isFreeBSD) {
+  configureFlags = "--with-python=no"; # otherwise build impurity bites us
 })