diff --git a/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/generic-builder.nix b/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/generic-builder.nix
index 7a421e4f7b68..09ab30bb1761 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/generic-builder.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/generic-builder.nix
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 # TODO enable shared libs for cross-compiling
 , enableSharedExecutables ? !isCross && (((ghc.isGhcjs or false) || stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7.7" ghc.version))
 , enableSharedLibraries ? !isCross && (((ghc.isGhcjs or false) || stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7.7" ghc.version))
-, enableSplitObjs ? !stdenv.isDarwin # http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/4013
+, enableSplitObjs ? null # OBSOLETE, use enableDeadCodeElimination
+, enableDeadCodeElimination ? (!stdenv.isDarwin)  # TODO: use -dead_strip  for darwin
 , enableStaticLibraries ? true
 , extraLibraries ? [], librarySystemDepends ? [], executableSystemDepends ? []
 , homepage ? "http://hackage.haskell.org/package/${pname}"
@@ -53,6 +54,8 @@
 } @ args:
 
 assert editedCabalFile != null -> revision != null;
+# OBSOLETE, use enableDeadCodeElimination
+assert enableSplitObjs == null;
 
 let
 
@@ -108,13 +111,15 @@ let
     (optionalString (enableSharedExecutables && stdenv.isDarwin) "--ghc-option=-optl=-Wl,-headerpad_max_install_names")
     (optionalString enableParallelBuilding "--ghc-option=-j$NIX_BUILD_CORES")
     (optionalString useCpphs "--with-cpphs=${cpphs}/bin/cpphs --ghc-options=-cpp --ghc-options=-pgmP${cpphs}/bin/cpphs --ghc-options=-optP--cpp")
-    (enableFeature enableSplitObjs "split-objs")
+    (enableFeature (enableDeadCodeElimination && (stdenv.lib.versionAtLeast "8.0.1" ghc.version)) "split-objs")
     (enableFeature enableLibraryProfiling "library-profiling")
     (enableFeature enableExecutableProfiling (if versionOlder ghc.version "8" then "executable-profiling" else "profiling"))
     (enableFeature enableSharedLibraries "shared")
     (optionalString (isGhcjs || versionOlder "7" ghc.version) (enableFeature enableStaticLibraries "library-vanilla"))
     (optionalString (isGhcjs || versionOlder "7.4" ghc.version) (enableFeature enableSharedExecutables "executable-dynamic"))
     (optionalString (isGhcjs || versionOlder "7" ghc.version) (enableFeature doCheck "tests"))
+  ] ++ optionals (enableDeadCodeElimination && (stdenv.lib.versionOlder "8.0.1" ghc.version)) [
+     "--ghc-option=-split-sections"
   ] ++ optionals isGhcjs [
     "--with-hsc2hs=${nativeGhc}/bin/hsc2hs"
     "--ghcjs"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/lib.nix b/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/lib.nix
index 246a9f305dba..f7c9811234ec 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/lib.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/haskell-modules/lib.nix
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ rec {
   enableSharedLibraries = drv: overrideCabal drv (drv: { enableSharedLibraries = true; });
   disableSharedLibraries = drv: overrideCabal drv (drv: { enableSharedLibraries = false; });
 
-  enableSplitObjs = drv: overrideCabal drv (drv: { enableSplitObjs = true; });
-  disableSplitObjs = drv: overrideCabal drv (drv: { enableSplitObjs = false; });
+  enableDeadCodeElimination = drv: overrideCabal drv (drv: { enableDeadCodeElimination = true; });
+  disableDeadCodeElimination = drv: overrideCabal drv (drv: { enableDeadCodeElimination = false; });
 
   enableStaticLibraries = drv: overrideCabal drv (drv: { enableStaticLibraries = true; });
   disableStaticLibraries = drv: overrideCabal drv (drv: { enableStaticLibraries = false; });