diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
index b1afe060b73..29cbb0de410 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ let
     result =
 
       derivation {
-        inherit system cross name;
+        inherit system name cross;
 
         builder = shell;
 
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ let
                 ["-e" (if attrs ? builder then attrs.builder else ./default-builder.sh)];
               stdenv = result;
               system = result.system;
-              cross = result.cross;
+              # The env variable 'cross' is used in all the crosscompiler
+              # bootstrapping in another sense
+              crossTarget = result.cross;
             })
           )
           # The meta attribute is passed in the resulting attribute set,
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
index 87df78fafb4..228c626341e 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ rec {
     name = "stdenv-linux" +
       stdenvLinuxBoot3Pkgs.lib.optionalString (cross != null) "-${cross}";
     
-    inherit system;
+    inherit system cross;
     
     preHook = builtins.toFile "prehook.sh" commonPreHook;