diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/cabal/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/cabal/default.nix
index 9b6d8c4e80e..14bd01c7346 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/cabal/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/cabal/default.nix
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 , enableLibraryProfiling ? false
 , enableSharedLibraries ? false
 , enableSharedExecutables ? false
+, enableStaticLibraries ? true
 , enableCheckPhase ? stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7.4" ghc.version
 }:
 
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@ assert enableSharedExecutables -> versionOlder "7.4" ghc.version;
 # Our GHC 6.10.x builds do not provide sharable versions of their core libraries.
 assert enableSharedLibraries -> versionOlder "6.12" ghc.version;
 
+# Our GHC 6.10.x builds do not provide sharable versions of their core libraries.
+assert !enableStaticLibraries -> versionOlder "7.7" ghc.version;
+
 {
   mkDerivation =
     args : # arguments for the individual package, can modify the defaults
@@ -128,6 +132,10 @@ assert enableSharedLibraries -> versionOlder "6.12" ghc.version;
             # and run any regression test suites the package might have
             doCheck = enableCheckPhase;
 
+            # pass the '--enable-library-vanilla' flag to cabal in the
+            # configure stage to enable building shared libraries
+            inherit enableStaticLibraries;
+
             # pass the '--enable-shared' flag to cabal in the configure
             # stage to enable building shared libraries
             inherit enableSharedLibraries;
@@ -140,6 +148,7 @@ assert enableSharedLibraries -> versionOlder "6.12" ghc.version;
               (enableFeature self.enableSplitObjs "split-objs")
               (enableFeature enableLibraryProfiling "library-profiling")
               (enableFeature self.enableSharedLibraries "shared")
+              (optional (versionOlder "7" ghc.version) (enableFeature self.enableStaticLibraries "library-vanilla"))
               (optional (versionOlder "7.4" ghc.version) (enableFeature self.enableSharedExecutables "executable-dynamic"))
               (optional (versionOlder "7" ghc.version) (enableFeature self.doCheck "tests"))
             ];
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/haskell-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/haskell-packages.nix
index 40446bcd366..87b99ddf5d9 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/haskell-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/haskell-packages.nix
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 , enableSharedLibraries ? pkgs.stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7.7" ghc.version
 , enableSharedExecutables ? pkgs.stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7.7" ghc.version
 , enableCheckPhase ? pkgs.stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7.4" ghc.version
+, enableStaticLibraries ? true
 }:
 
 # We redefine callPackage to take into account the new scope. The optional
@@ -113,10 +114,8 @@ let result = let callPackage = x : y : modifyPrio (newScope result.finalReturn x
   # packages. It isn't the Cabal library, which is spelled "Cabal".
 
   cabal = callPackage ../build-support/cabal {
-    inherit enableLibraryProfiling;
-    inherit enableSharedLibraries;
-    inherit enableSharedExecutables;
-    inherit enableCheckPhase;
+    inherit enableLibraryProfiling enableCheckPhase
+      enableStaticLibraries enableSharedLibraries enableSharedExecutables;
     glibcLocales = if pkgs.stdenv.isLinux then pkgs.glibcLocales else null;
   };