diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
index 1fed692fd1cee50..da4a94e34b01a7b 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 { pkgspath ? ../../.., test-pkgspath ? pkgspath
-, system ? builtins.currentSystem, crossSystem ? null, bootstrapFiles ? null
+, localSystem ? { system = builtins.currentSystem; }
+, crossSystem ? null
+, bootstrapFiles ? null
 }:
 
 let cross = if crossSystem != null
@@ -11,7 +13,7 @@ let cross = if crossSystem != null
               in (import "${pkgspath}/pkgs/stdenv/darwin" args').stagesDarwin;
            }
       else {};
-in with import pkgspath ({ inherit system; } // cross // custom-bootstrap);
+in with import pkgspath ({ inherit localSystem; } // cross // custom-bootstrap);
 
 let
   llvmPackages = llvmPackages_11;
@@ -364,7 +366,7 @@ in rec {
   test-pkgs = import test-pkgspath {
     # if the bootstrap tools are for another platform, we should be testing
     # that platform.
-    system = if crossSystem != null then crossSystem else system;
+    localSystem = if crossSystem != null then crossSystem else localSystem;
 
     stdenvStages = args: let
         args' = args // { inherit bootstrapLlvmVersion bootstrapFiles; };
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
index d23a996dfcb48f2..b2d04c8667d5f5f 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
-{ localSystem ? { system = builtins.currentSystem; }
-, crossSystem ? null
-}:
+{ pkgs ? import ../../.. {} }:
 
 let
-  pkgs = import ../../.. { inherit localSystem crossSystem; };
   libc = pkgs.stdenv.cc.libc;
 in with pkgs; rec {
 
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index cd897ea89774530..1df7461b98decc2 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -1918,13 +1918,15 @@ with pkgs;
 
   brewtarget = libsForQt514.callPackage ../applications/misc/brewtarget { } ;
 
-  stdenvBootstrapTools =
-    let args = { crossSystem = stdenv.hostPlatform.system; }; in
-    if stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin
-    then callPackage ../stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix args
-    else if stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux
-    then callPackage ../stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix args
-    else throw "stdenvBootstrapTools: unknown hostPlatform ${stdenv.hostPlatform.config}";
+  stdenvBootstrapTools = if stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin then
+    callPackage ../stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix {
+      localSystem = stdenv.buildPlatform;
+      crossSystem =
+        if stdenv.buildPlatform == stdenv.hostPlatform then null else stdenv.hostPlatform;
+    }
+  else if stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux then
+    callPackage ../stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix {}
+  else throw "stdenvBootstrapTools: unknown hostPlatform ${stdenv.hostPlatform.config}";
 
   boxes = callPackage ../tools/text/boxes { };