diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/automake/automake-1.11.x.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/automake/automake-1.11.x.nix
index 7c9d06baa54..1e93593d794 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/automake/automake-1.11.x.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/automake/automake-1.11.x.nix
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   buildInputs = [perl autoconf makeWrapper];
 
-  inherit doCheck;
+  # Bug in a test in automake. Upstream git already fixed it removing the test.
+  doCheck = if stdenv.isMips then false else doCheck;
 
   # Disable indented log output from Make, otherwise "make.test" will
   # fail.
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/automake/automake-1.12.x.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/automake/automake-1.12.x.nix
index e2db84d2fc3..66d43974f6e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/automake/automake-1.12.x.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/automake/automake-1.12.x.nix
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sed -i -e 's|t/aclocal7.sh||' Makefile.in
   '';
 
-  inherit doCheck;
+  # Bug in a test in automake. Upstream git already fixed it removing the test.
+  doCheck = if stdenv.isMips then false else doCheck;
 
   # The test suite can run in parallel.
   enableParallelBuilding = true;