diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper-builder.sh b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper-builder.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f3353c32ef10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper-builder.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+source $stdenv/setup
+
+preConfigure() {
+    PYTHONPATH='$(
+        # activate site if installed
+        bindir=$(dirname "$0")
+        pysite="$bindir/pysite"
+        relpath=$(test -x "$pysite" && "$pysite" path)
+        echo -n ${relpath:+"$relpath":}
+)'"$PYTHONPATH"
+}
+
+genericBuild
diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper.nix
index 0522a47d17b3..f1d2471c942e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/wrapper.nix
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   name = "python-${python.version}-wrapper";
 
   buildInputs = [ makeWrapper ];
+  builder = ./wrapper-builder.sh;
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ python ] ++ extraLibs;
 
   unpackPhase = "true";