diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
index 3d9cec05a354..2c9ede898def 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
@@ -36,6 +36,73 @@ let
       gcc
     ];
 
+  # Add a utility function to produce derivations that use this
+  # stdenv and its shell.
+  mkDerivation = attrs:
+    let
+      pos =
+        if attrs.meta.description or null != null then
+          unsafeGetAttrPos "description" attrs.meta
+        else
+          unsafeGetAttrPos "name" attrs;
+      pos' = if pos != null then "‘" + pos.file + ":" + toString pos.line + "’" else "«unknown-file»";
+    in
+    if !allowUnfree
+       && (let l = lib.lists.toList attrs.meta.license or []; in lib.lists.elem "unfree" l || lib.lists.elem "unfree-redistributable" l)
+       && !allowUnfreePredicate attrs then
+      throw ''
+        Package ‘${attrs.name}’ in ${pos'} has an unfree license, refusing to evaluate. You can set
+          { nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true; }
+        in configuration.nix to override this. If you use Nix standalone, you can add
+          { allowUnfree = true; }
+        to ~/.nixpkgs/config.nix.''
+    else if !allowBroken && attrs.meta.broken or false then
+      throw "you can't use package ‘${attrs.name}’ in ${pos'} because it has been marked as broken"
+    else if !allowBroken && attrs.meta.platforms or null != null && !lib.lists.elem result.system attrs.meta.platforms then
+      throw "the package ‘${attrs.name}’ in ${pos'} is not supported on ‘${result.system}’"
+    else
+      lib.addPassthru (derivation (
+        (removeAttrs attrs ["meta" "passthru" "crossAttrs"])
+        // (let
+          buildInputs = attrs.buildInputs or [];
+          nativeBuildInputs = attrs.nativeBuildInputs or [];
+          propagatedBuildInputs = attrs.propagatedBuildInputs or [];
+          propagatedNativeBuildInputs = attrs.propagatedNativeBuildInputs or [];
+          crossConfig = attrs.crossConfig or null;
+        in
+        {
+          builder = attrs.realBuilder or shell;
+          args = attrs.args or ["-e" (attrs.builder or ./default-builder.sh)];
+          stdenv = result;
+          system = result.system;
+          userHook = config.stdenv.userHook or null;
+          __ignoreNulls = true;
+
+          # Inputs built by the cross compiler.
+          buildInputs = lib.optionals (crossConfig != null) (buildInputs ++ extraBuildInputs');
+          propagatedBuildInputs = lib.optionals (crossConfig != null) propagatedBuildInputs;
+          # Inputs built by the usual native compiler.
+          nativeBuildInputs = nativeBuildInputs ++ lib.optionals (crossConfig == null) (buildInputs ++ extraBuildInputs');
+          propagatedNativeBuildInputs = propagatedNativeBuildInputs ++
+            lib.optionals (crossConfig == null) propagatedBuildInputs;
+      }))) (
+      {
+        # The meta attribute is passed in the resulting attribute set,
+        # but it's not part of the actual derivation, i.e., it's not
+        # passed to the builder and is not a dependency.  But since we
+        # include it in the result, it *is* available to nix-env for
+        # queries.  We also a meta.position attribute here to
+        # identify the source location of the package.
+        meta = attrs.meta or {} // (if pos != null then {
+          position = pos.file + ":" + (toString pos.line);
+        } else {});
+        passthru = attrs.passthru or {};
+      } //
+      # Pass through extra attributes that are not inputs, but
+      # should be made available to Nix expressions using the
+      # derivation (e.g., in assertions).
+      (attrs.passthru or {}));
+
   # The stdenv that we are producing.
   result =
 
@@ -61,76 +128,7 @@ let
 
     // rec {
 
-      meta = {
-        description = "The default build environment for Unix packages in Nixpkgs";
-      };
-
-      # Add a utility function to produce derivations that use this
-      # stdenv and its shell.
-      mkDerivation = attrs:
-        let
-          pos =
-            if attrs.meta.description or null != null then
-              unsafeGetAttrPos "description" attrs.meta
-            else
-              unsafeGetAttrPos "name" attrs;
-          pos' = if pos != null then "‘" + pos.file + ":" + toString pos.line + "’" else "«unknown-file»";
-        in
-        if !allowUnfree
-           && (let l = lib.lists.toList attrs.meta.license or []; in lib.lists.elem "unfree" l || lib.lists.elem "unfree-redistributable" l)
-           && !allowUnfreePredicate attrs then
-          throw ''
-            Package ‘${attrs.name}’ in ${pos'} has an unfree license, refusing to evaluate. You can set
-              { nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true; }
-            in configuration.nix to override this. If you use Nix standalone, you can add
-              { allowUnfree = true; }
-            to ~/.nixpkgs/config.nix.''
-        else if !allowBroken && attrs.meta.broken or false then
-          throw "you can't use package ‘${attrs.name}’ in ${pos'} because it has been marked as broken"
-        else if !allowBroken && attrs.meta.platforms or null != null && !lib.lists.elem result.system attrs.meta.platforms then
-          throw "the package ‘${attrs.name}’ in ${pos'} is not supported on ‘${result.system}’"
-        else
-          lib.addPassthru (derivation (
-            (removeAttrs attrs ["meta" "passthru" "crossAttrs"])
-            // (let
-              buildInputs = attrs.buildInputs or [];
-              nativeBuildInputs = attrs.nativeBuildInputs or [];
-              propagatedBuildInputs = attrs.propagatedBuildInputs or [];
-              propagatedNativeBuildInputs = attrs.propagatedNativeBuildInputs or [];
-              crossConfig = attrs.crossConfig or null;
-            in
-            {
-              builder = attrs.realBuilder or shell;
-              args = attrs.args or ["-e" (attrs.builder or ./default-builder.sh)];
-              stdenv = result;
-              system = result.system;
-              userHook = config.stdenv.userHook or null;
-              __ignoreNulls = true;
-
-              # Inputs built by the cross compiler.
-              buildInputs = lib.optionals (crossConfig != null) (buildInputs ++ extraBuildInputs');
-              propagatedBuildInputs = lib.optionals (crossConfig != null) propagatedBuildInputs;
-              # Inputs built by the usual native compiler.
-              nativeBuildInputs = nativeBuildInputs ++ lib.optionals (crossConfig == null) (buildInputs ++ extraBuildInputs');
-              propagatedNativeBuildInputs = propagatedNativeBuildInputs ++
-                lib.optionals (crossConfig == null) propagatedBuildInputs;
-          }))) (
-          {
-            # The meta attribute is passed in the resulting attribute set,
-            # but it's not part of the actual derivation, i.e., it's not
-            # passed to the builder and is not a dependency.  But since we
-            # include it in the result, it *is* available to nix-env for
-            # queries.  We also a meta.position attribute here to
-            # identify the source location of the package.
-            meta = attrs.meta or {} // (if pos != null then {
-              position = pos.file + ":" + (toString pos.line);
-            } else {});
-            passthru = attrs.passthru or {};
-          } //
-          # Pass through extra attributes that are not inputs, but
-          # should be made available to Nix expressions using the
-          # derivation (e.g., in assertions).
-          (attrs.passthru or {}));
+      meta.description = "The default build environment for Unix packages in Nixpkgs";
 
       # Utility flags to test the type of platform.
       isDarwin = system == "x86_64-darwin";
@@ -180,6 +178,8 @@ let
       # Whether we should run paxctl to pax-mark binaries.
       needsPax = isLinux;
 
+      inherit mkDerivation;
+
       # For convenience, bring in the library functions in lib/ so
       # packages don't have to do that themselves.
       inherit lib;