diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/setup-hook.sh b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/setup-hook.sh
index 4607453867f..b7a4ab3d6f0 100755
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/setup-hook.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/setup-hook.sh
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ cmakeConfigurePhase() {
     # because we usually do not package the framework
     cmakeFlags="-DCMAKE_FIND_FRAMEWORK=last $cmakeFlags"
 
+    # we never want to use the global macOS SDK
+    cmakeFlags="-DCMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT= $cmakeFlags"
+
     # This installs shared libraries with a fully-specified install
     # name. By default, cmake installs shared libraries with just the
     # basename as the install name, which means that, on Darwin, they