diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/perl-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/perl-packages.nix
index 7f09630debf..51413009e68 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/perl-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/perl-packages.nix
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ let
       checkPhase = "./Build test";
     });
 
+  # Helper function to make a PERL5LIB environment variable for a list of perlPackages and all associated runtime dependencies
+  makePerl5Lib = deps:
+    with stdenv;
+    lib.concatStringsSep ":" [
+      (lib.makePerlPath deps)
+      (lib.concatStringsSep ":" (map (dep: dep + "/lib/perl5/site_perl") (builtins.filter (dep: dep != null) (lib.flatten (map (dep: lib.getOutput "propagatedBuildInputs" dep) deps)))))
+    ]
+  ;
 
   ack = buildPerlPackage rec {
     name = "ack-2.24";