diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/mk-python-derivation.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/mk-python-derivation.nix
index d986490310b..b3561bcbb72 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/mk-python-derivation.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/mk-python-derivation.nix
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@
 # Skip wrapping of python programs altogether
 , dontWrapPythonPrograms ? false
 
+# Skip setting the PYTHONNOUSERSITE environment variable in wrapped programs
+, permitUserSite ? false
+
 # Remove bytecode from bin folder.
 # When a Python script has the extension `.py`, bytecode is generated
 # Typically, executables in bin have no extension, so no bytecode is generated.
diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrap.sh b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrap.sh
index b2d65422db4..c7201c7a997 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrap.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrap.sh
@@ -73,9 +73,12 @@ wrapPythonProgramsIn() {
                     # (see pkgs/build-support/setup-hooks/make-wrapper.sh)
                     local -a wrap_args=("$f"
                                     --prefix PATH ':' "$program_PATH"
-                                    --set PYTHONNOUSERSITE "true"
                                     )
 
+                    if [ -z "$permitUserSite" ]; then
+                        wrap_args+=(--set PYTHONNOUSERSITE "true")
+                    fi
+
                     # Add any additional arguments provided by makeWrapperArgs
                     # argument to buildPythonPackage.
                     local -a user_args="($makeWrapperArgs)"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper.nix
index 27d01e4e1f5..5a2ec567b9e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper.nix
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 , extraOutputsToInstall ? []
 , postBuild ? ""
 , ignoreCollisions ? false
+, permitUserSite ? false
 , requiredPythonModules
 # Wrap executables with the given argument.
 , makeWrapperArgs ? []
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ let
             if [ -f "$prg" ]; then
               rm -f "$out/bin/$prg"
               if [ -x "$prg" ]; then
-                makeWrapper "$path/bin/$prg" "$out/bin/$prg" --set PYTHONHOME "$out" --set PYTHONNOUSERSITE "true" ${stdenv.lib.concatStringsSep " " makeWrapperArgs}
+                makeWrapper "$path/bin/$prg" "$out/bin/$prg" --set PYTHONHOME "$out" ${if permitUserSite then "" else ''--set PYTHONNOUSERSITE "true"''} ${stdenv.lib.concatStringsSep " " makeWrapperArgs}
               fi
             fi
           done