diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/scripts/unpack-bootstrap-tools.sh b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/scripts/unpack-bootstrap-tools.sh
index da787d2036d3..b3f5dbb546db 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/scripts/unpack-bootstrap-tools.sh
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/scripts/unpack-bootstrap-tools.sh
@@ -8,35 +8,43 @@ $bzip2 -d < $tarball | (cd $out && $cpio -i)
 # Set the ELF interpreter / RPATH in the bootstrap binaries.
 echo Patching the bootstrap tools...
 
+if test -f $out/lib/ld.so.?; then
+   # MIPS case
+   LD_BINARY=$out/lib/ld.so.?
+else
+   # i686, x86_64 and armv5tel
+   LD_BINARY=$out/lib/ld-*so.?
+fi
+
 # On x86_64, ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 barfs on patchelf'ed programs.  So
 # use a copy of patchelf.
-LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $out/lib/ld.so.? $out/bin/cp $out/bin/patchelf .
+LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $LD_BINARY $out/bin/cp $out/bin/patchelf .
 
 for i in $out/bin/* $out/libexec/gcc/*/*/*; do
     echo patching $i
     if ! test -L $i; then
-         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $out/lib/ld.so.? \
-             $out/bin/patchelf --set-interpreter $out/lib/ld.so.? --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
-         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $out/lib/ld.so.? \
-             $out/bin/patchelf --set-interpreter $out/lib/ld.so.? --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
+         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $LD_BINARY \
+             $out/bin/patchelf --set-interpreter $LD_BINARY --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
+         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $LD_BINARY \
+             $out/bin/patchelf --set-interpreter $LD_BINARY --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
     fi
 done
 for i in $out/lib/librt* ; do
     echo patching $i
     if ! test -L $i; then
-         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $out/lib/ld.so.? \
-             $out/bin/patchelf --set-interpreter $out/lib/ld.so.? --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
-         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $out/lib/ld.so.? \
-             $out/bin/patchelf --set-interpreter $out/lib/ld.so.? --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
+         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $LD_BINARY \
+             $out/bin/patchelf --set-interpreter $LD_BINARY --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
+         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $LD_BINARY \
+             $out/bin/patchelf --set-interpreter $LD_BINARY --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
     fi
 done
 
 for i in $out/lib/libgmp* $out/lib/libppl* $out/lib/libcloog* $out/lib/libmpc*; do
-    echo patching $i
+    echo trying to patch $i
     if test -f $i -a ! -L $i; then
-         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $out/lib/ld.so.? \
+         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $LD_BINARY \
              $out/bin/patchelf --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
-         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $out/lib/ld.so.? \
+         LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$out/lib $LD_BINARY \
              $out/bin/patchelf --set-rpath $out/lib --force-rpath $i
     fi
 done