diff --git a/lib/default.nix b/lib/default.nix
index 18d2dfae1e1..efa47a67f96 100644
--- a/lib/default.nix
+++ b/lib/default.nix
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ let
     # back-compat aliases
     platforms = systems.doubles;
 
+    # linux kernel configuration
+    kernel = callLibs ./kernel.nix;
+
     inherit (builtins) add addErrorContext attrNames concatLists
       deepSeq elem elemAt filter genericClosure genList getAttr
       hasAttr head isAttrs isBool isInt isList isString length
diff --git a/lib/kernel.nix b/lib/kernel.nix
index 36ea3083828..bfadf148be2 100644
--- a/lib/kernel.nix
+++ b/lib/kernel.nix
@@ -1,12 +1,7 @@
-{ lib, version }:
+{ lib }:
 
 with lib;
 {
-  # Common patterns/legacy
-  whenAtLeast = ver: mkIf (versionAtLeast version ver);
-  whenOlder   = ver: mkIf (versionOlder version ver);
-  # range is (inclusive, exclusive)
-  whenBetween = verLow: verHigh: mkIf (versionAtLeast version verLow && versionOlder version verHigh);
 
 
   # Keeping these around in case we decide to change this horrible implementation :)
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/common-config.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/common-config.nix
index 3b409f15aba..d414a084262 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/common-config.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/common-config.nix
@@ -16,10 +16,15 @@
 }:
 
 with stdenv.lib;
-
-  with import ../../../../lib/kernel.nix { inherit (stdenv) lib; inherit version; };
+with stdenv.lib.kernel;
 
 let
+  # Common patterns/legacy
+  whenAtLeast = ver: mkIf (versionAtLeast version ver);
+  whenOlder   = ver: mkIf (versionOlder version ver);
+  # range is (inclusive, exclusive)
+  whenBetween = verLow: verHigh: mkIf (versionAtLeast version verLow && versionOlder version verHigh);
+
 
   # configuration items have to be part of a subattrs
   flattenKConf =  nested: mapAttrs (_: head) (zipAttrs (attrValues nested));
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/hardened-config.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/hardened-config.nix
index 156a4cf4423..b72994d6dd6 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/hardened-config.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/hardened-config.nix
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@
 { stdenv, version }:
 
 with stdenv.lib;
-with import ../../../../lib/kernel.nix { inherit (stdenv) lib; inherit version; };
-
+with stdenv.lib.kernel;
 assert (versionAtLeast version "4.9");
 
 optionalAttrs (stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.kernelArch == "x86_64") {
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/mptcp-config.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/mptcp-config.nix
index e5e3ee283ff..9752e63d9f9 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/mptcp-config.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/mptcp-config.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 { stdenv }:
-with import ../../../../lib/kernel.nix { inherit (stdenv) lib; version = null; };
+with stdenv.lib.kernel;
 {
     # DRM_AMDGPU = yes;