diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/p2p/valknut/builder.sh b/pkgs/applications/networking/p2p/valknut/builder.sh
index 5bf84a308e58..56f5dd870057 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/p2p/valknut/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/p2p/valknut/builder.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 addInputsHook=addBzip2
 addBzip2() {
     bzip2=$(type -tP bzip2)
-    test -n $bzip2 || fail
+    test -n $bzip2
     buildInputs="$(dirname $(dirname $bzip2)) $buildInputs"
 }
 
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/video/mythtv/builder.sh b/pkgs/applications/video/mythtv/builder.sh
index daeedf3ae20f..ec1eea3b38b5 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/video/mythtv/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/applications/video/mythtv/builder.sh
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ echo $LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 
 buildPhase=myBuilder
 myBuilder() {
-    qmake mythtv.pro || fail
-    make || fail
+    qmake mythtv.pro
+    make
 }
 
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/builder-binjar.sh b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/builder-binjar.sh
index 90458f9897d3..9faa0541c6c3 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/builder-binjar.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/builder-binjar.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 source $stdenv/setup
 
-ensureDir $out/jars || fail
-cp $src $out/jars/$jarname.jar || fail
+ensureDir $out/jars
+cp $src $out/jars/$jarname.jar
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/builder.sh b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/builder.sh
index 935fcf8fecd8..36d2e4e68e1c 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/builder.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 source $stdenv/setup
 
-tar zxvf $src || fail
+tar zxvf $src
 
-cd abc-*  || fail
+cd abc-*
 
 for p in $patches; do
   echo "applying patch $p"
-  patch -p1 < $p || fail
+  patch -p1 < $p
 done
 
 cat > ant.settings <<EOF
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/jasmin/builder.sh b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/jasmin/builder.sh
index b591b60c56ab..c30f86fb7f5e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/jasmin/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/jasmin/builder.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 source $stdenv/setup
 
-tar zxvf $src  || fail
-cd jasmin-*  || fail
+tar zxvf $src
+cd jasmin-*
 
 sed -e 's/<javac/<javac source="1.4"/' build.xml > build-tmp.xml
 mv build-tmp.xml build.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ jasmin.version=foo
 build.compiler=javac1.4
 EOF
 
-ant jasmin-jar || fail
+ant jasmin-jar
 
-ensureDir $out/jars/ || fail
-mv lib/jasminclasses-foo.jar $out/jars/jasmin.jar || fail
+ensureDir $out/jars/
+mv lib/jasminclasses-foo.jar $out/jars/jasmin.jar
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/polyglot/builder.sh b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/polyglot/builder.sh
index 197d1680914d..81acfde1d4f7 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/polyglot/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/polyglot/builder.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 source $stdenv/setup
 
-tar zxvf $src  || fail
-cd polyglot-*  || fail
+tar zxvf $src
+cd polyglot-*
 
-ant polyglot-jar || fail
-ant cup || fail
+ant polyglot-jar
+ant cup
 
-ensureDir $out/jars/ || fail
-mv lib/java_cup.jar $out/jars/ || fail
-mv lib/polyglot*.jar $out/jars/ || fail
+ensureDir $out/jars/
+mv lib/java_cup.jar $out/jars/
+mv lib/polyglot*.jar $out/jars/
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/soot/builder.sh b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/soot/builder.sh
index 732a8d20e15e..18718943077f 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/soot/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/abc/soot/builder.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 source $stdenv/setup
 
-tar zxvf $src  || fail
-cd soot-*  || fail
+tar zxvf $src
+cd soot-*
 
 export NIX_ANT_OPTS="$ANT_OPTS -Xmx200m"
 
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ release.loc=lib
 javaapi.url=http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/
 EOF
 
-ant classesjar || fail
+ant classesjar
 
-ensureDir $out/jars/ || fail
-mv lib/sootclasses-foo.jar $out/jars/soot.jar || fail
+ensureDir $out/jars/
+mv lib/sootclasses-foo.jar $out/jars/soot.jar
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/jdk/dlj-bundle-builder.sh b/pkgs/development/compilers/jdk/dlj-bundle-builder.sh
index e990eaf53927..e0e31e7a75ba 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/jdk/dlj-bundle-builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/jdk/dlj-bundle-builder.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ unzip ${src} || true
 
 # set the dynamic linker of unpack200, necessary for construct script
 echo "patching unpack200"
-patchelf --interpreter "$(cat $NIX_GCC/nix-support/dynamic-linker)" --set-rpath "" */bin/unpack200 || fail
+patchelf --interpreter "$(cat $NIX_GCC/nix-support/dynamic-linker)" --set-rpath "" */bin/unpack200
 
 echo "constructing JDK and JRE installations"
 if test -z "$installjdk"; then
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/qcmm/builder.sh b/pkgs/development/compilers/qcmm/builder.sh
index dd08d4834090..c6aa18fea3c8 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/qcmm/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/qcmm/builder.sh
@@ -19,13 +19,11 @@ installPhase() {
   find $out/man -type f -exec gzip -9 {} \;
 
   find $out -name \*.a -exec echo stripping {} \; \
-            -exec strip -S {} \; || fail
+            -exec strip -S {} \;
 
   patchELF $out
 }
 
-buildPhase=buildPhase
-installPhase=installPhase
 checkPhase="mk $MKFLAGS test.opt"
 
 genericBuild
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/openssl/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/openssl/default.nix
index a4f09612f9b5..9cc46cec85dd 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/openssl/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/openssl/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-{stdenv, fetchurl, perl}: stdenv.mkDerivation {
+{stdenv, fetchurl, perl}:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
   name = "openssl-0.9.8g";
   builder = ./builder.sh;
   src = fetchurl {
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/scons/builder.sh b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/scons/builder.sh
index a33aa00c137a..c5c1a97e4599 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/scons/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/scons/builder.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 source $stdenv/setup
 
-buildPhase=myBuildPhase
-myBuildPhase() {
+buildPhase() {
     true
 }
 
-installPhase=myInstallPhase
-myInstallPhase() {
-    python setup.py install --prefix=$out || fail
+installPhase() {
+    python setup.py install --prefix=$out
 }
 
 genericBuild
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/backup/rdiff-backup/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/backup/rdiff-backup/default.nix
index 8cd660adc8c6..0c4f4b494fb0 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/backup/rdiff-backup/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/backup/rdiff-backup/default.nix
@@ -7,18 +7,18 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     sha256 = "0sh2kz90z47yfa9786dyn3q9ba1xcmjvd65rykvm7mg5apnrg27h";
   };
 
-  phases="installPhase";
-  installPhase="python setup.py install --prefix=\$out || fail
-  sed -i \$out/bin/rdiff-backup -e \\
-    \"/import sys/ asys.path += [ \\\"\$out/lib/python2.4/site-packages/\\\" ]\"
-    
-  ";
+  phases = "installPhase";
+  installPhase = ''
+    python setup.py install --prefix=$out
+    sed -i $out/bin/rdiff-backup -e \
+      "/import sys/ asys.path += [ \"$out/lib/python2.4/site-packages/\" ]"
+  '';
 
   buildInputs = [python librsync gnused ];
 
   meta = {
-      description = "backup system trying to combine best a mirror and an incremental backup system";
-      homepage = http://rdiff-backup.nongnu.org/;
-      license = "GPL-2";
-    };
+    description = "backup system trying to combine best a mirror and an incremental backup system";
+    homepage = http://rdiff-backup.nongnu.org/;
+    license = "GPL-2";
+  };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/graphics/transfig/builder.sh b/pkgs/tools/graphics/transfig/builder.sh
index 8a91d78a089b..d00aa90c61f0 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/graphics/transfig/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/tools/graphics/transfig/builder.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ patchPhase=patchPhase
 patchPhase() {
     for i in $patches; do
         header "applying patch $i" 3
-        patch -p0 < $i || fail
+        patch -p0 < $i
         stopNest
     done