diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.13.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.13.nix
index 9e8a6601724..4354529a58c 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.13.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.13.nix
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
       --replace '#!/usr/bin/env bash' '#!${runtimeShell}'
 
     # Patch the mimetype database location which is missing on NixOS.
-    substituteInPlace src/mime/type_unix.go \
-      --replace '/etc/mime.types' '${mailcap}/etc/mime.types'
+    # but also allow static binaries built with NixOS to run outside nix
+    sed -i 's,\"/etc/mime.types,"${mailcap}/etc/mime.types\"\,\n\t&,' src/mime/type_unix.go
 
     # Disabling the 'os/http/net' tests (they want files not available in
     # chroot builds)
@@ -97,7 +97,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     rm src/net/cgo_unix_test.go
 
   '' + optionalString stdenv.isLinux ''
-    sed -i 's,/usr/share/zoneinfo/,${tzdata}/share/zoneinfo/,' src/time/zoneinfo_unix.go
+    # prepend the nix path to the zoneinfo files but also leave the original value for static binaries
+    # that run outside a nix server
+    sed -i 's,\"/usr/share/zoneinfo/,"${tzdata}/share/zoneinfo/\"\,\n\t&,' src/time/zoneinfo_unix.go
+
   '' + optionalString stdenv.isAarch32 ''
     echo '#!${runtimeShell}' > misc/cgo/testplugin/test.bash
   '' + optionalString stdenv.isDarwin ''
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.4.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.4.nix
index 1052f1f1ae1..0dd852a1ef1 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.4.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.4.nix
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
     sed -i 's,/etc/protocols,${iana-etc}/etc/protocols,' src/net/lookup_unix.go
   '' + lib.optionalString stdenv.isLinux ''
-    sed -i 's,/usr/share/zoneinfo/,${tzdata}/share/zoneinfo/,' src/time/zoneinfo_unix.go
+    # prepend the nix path to the zoneinfo files but also leave the original value for static binaries
+    # that run outside a nix server
+    sed -i 's,\"/usr/share/zoneinfo/,"${tzdata}/share/zoneinfo/\"\,\n\t&,' src/time/zoneinfo_unix.go
 
     # Find the loader dynamically
     LOADER="$(find ${lib.getLib libc}/lib -name ld-linux\* | head -n 1)"