diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
index 3ffe1ab15d9b..65a0bf98456c 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ rec {
   # builds.
   makeStdenvCross = stdenv: cross: binutilsCross: gccCross: stdenv // {
 
+    # Overrides are surely not valid as packages built with this run on a
+    # different platform.
+    overrides = _: _: {};
+
     mkDerivation =
       { name ? "", buildInputs ? [], nativeBuildInputs ? []
       , propagatedBuildInputs ? [], propagatedNativeBuildInputs ? []
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/cross/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/cross/default.nix
index 05910d100a87..dec4b0360925 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/cross/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/cross/default.nix
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ in bootStages ++ [
     selfBuild = false;
     # It's OK to change the built-time dependencies
     allowCustomOverrides = true;
-    stdenv = vanillaPackages.stdenv // {
-      overrides = _: _: {};
-    };
+    inherit (vanillaPackages) stdenv;
   })
 
   # Run Packages
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
index e80c54e02182..8a517fddad8a 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ in rec {
     inherit
       gnumake gzip gnused bzip2 gawk ed xz patch bash
       libcxxabi libcxx ncurses libffi zlib icu llvm gmp pcre gnugrep
-      coreutils findutils diffutils patchutils binutils binutils-raw;
+      coreutils findutils diffutils patchutils;
 
     llvmPackages = super.llvmPackages // {
       inherit (llvmPackages) llvm clang-unwrapped;
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ in rec {
     darwin = super.darwin // {
       inherit (darwin) dyld Libsystem cctools libiconv;
     };
+  } // lib.optionalAttrs (super.targetPlatform == localSystem) {
+    # Need to get rid of these when cross-compiling.
+    inherit binutils binutils-raw;
   };
 
   stdenvDarwin = prevStage: let pkgs = prevStage; in import ../generic rec {
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
index fe685a1e77ce..3a244675b3a4 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
@@ -298,12 +298,14 @@ in
         */
 
       overrides = self: super: {
-        gcc = cc;
-
         inherit (prevStage)
-          gzip bzip2 xz bash binutils coreutils diffutils findutils gawk
+          gzip bzip2 xz bash coreutils diffutils findutils gawk
           glibc gnumake gnused gnutar gnugrep gnupatch patchelf
           attr acl paxctl zlib pcre;
+      } // lib.optionalAttrs (super.targetPlatform == localSystem) {
+        # Need to get rid of these when cross-compiling.
+        inherit (prevStage) binutils;
+        gcc = cc;
       };
     };
   })