diff --git a/pkgs/tools/text/groff/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/text/groff/default.nix
index 100c2b439075..a38251557c09 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/text/groff/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/text/groff/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 { lib, stdenv, fetchurl, fetchpatch, perl
-, ghostscript #for postscript and html output
-, psutils, netpbm #for html output
+, enableGhostscript ? false, ghostscript # for postscript and html output
+, enableHtml ? false, psutils, netpbm # for html output
 , buildPackages
 , autoreconfHook
 , pkg-config
@@ -38,11 +38,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     # BASH_PROG gets replaced with a path to the build bash which doesn't get automatically patched by patchShebangs
     substituteInPlace contrib/gdiffmk/gdiffmk.sh \
       --replace "@BASH_PROG@" "/bin/sh"
-  '' + lib.optionalString (psutils != null) ''
-    substituteInPlace src/preproc/html/pre-html.cpp \
-      --replace "psselect" "${psutils}/bin/psselect"
-  '' + lib.optionalString (netpbm != null) ''
+  '' + lib.optionalString enableHtml ''
     substituteInPlace src/preproc/html/pre-html.cpp \
+      --replace "psselect" "${psutils}/bin/psselect" \
       --replace "pnmcut" "${lib.getBin netpbm}/bin/pnmcut" \
       --replace "pnmcrop" "${lib.getBin netpbm}/bin/pnmcrop" \
       --replace "pnmtopng" "${lib.getBin netpbm}/bin/pnmtopng"
@@ -53,8 +51,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   '';
 
   strictDeps = true;
-  buildInputs = [ ghostscript psutils netpbm perl bash ];
   nativeBuildInputs = [ autoreconfHook pkg-config texinfo ];
+  buildInputs = [ perl bash ]
+    ++ lib.optionals enableGhostscript [ ghostscript ]
+    ++ lib.optionals enableHtml [ psutils netpbm ];
 
   # Builds running without a chroot environment may detect the presence
   # of /usr/X11 in the host system, leading to an impure build of the
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   configureFlags = [
     "--without-x"
     "ac_cv_path_PERL=${buildPackages.perl}/bin/perl"
-  ] ++ lib.optionals (ghostscript != null) [
+  ] ++ lib.optionals enableGhostscript [
     "--with-gs=${ghostscript}/bin/gs"
   ] ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.buildPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform) [
     "gl_cv_func_signbit=yes"
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index a978d6810c52..c8a522f808b0 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -6979,11 +6979,7 @@ with pkgs;
 
   grive2 = callPackage ../tools/filesystems/grive2 { };
 
-  groff = callPackage ../tools/text/groff {
-    ghostscript = null;
-    psutils = null;
-    netpbm = null;
-  };
+  groff = callPackage ../tools/text/groff { };
 
   gromit-mpx = callPackage ../tools/graphics/gromit-mpx {
     gtk = gtk3;