diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ecl/16.1.2.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ecl/16.1.2.nix
index b324ec490f1a..291b0ed013d6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ecl/16.1.2.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ecl/16.1.2.nix
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 , noUnicode ? false
 , gcc
 , threadSupport ? false
+, useBoehmgc ? true, boehmgc
 }:
+
+assert useBoehmgc -> boehmgc != null;
+
 let
   s = # Generated upstream information
   rec {
@@ -19,6 +23,9 @@ let
   ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = [
     libffi gmp mpfr gcc
+  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals useBoehmgc [
+    # replaces ecl's own gc which other packages can depend on, thus propagated
+    boehmgc
   ];
 in
 stdenv.mkDerivation {
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ecl/default.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ecl/default.nix
index b877ca58e95b..33ed690772ea 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ecl/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ecl/default.nix
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 , noUnicode ? false
 , gcc
 , threadSupport ? true
+, useBoehmgc ? false, boehmgc
 }:
 let
   s = # Generated upstream information
@@ -20,6 +21,10 @@ let
   ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = [
     libffi gmp mpfr gcc
+    # replaces ecl's own gc which other packages can depend on, thus propagated
+  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals useBoehmgc [
+    # replaces ecl's own gc which other packages can depend on, thus propagated
+    boehmgc
   ];
 in
 stdenv.mkDerivation {