diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/cabal/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/cabal/default.nix
index d4c823f4a847..7706e849f504 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/cabal/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/cabal/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 # generic builder for Cabal packages
 
-{ stdenv, fetchurl, lib, pkgconfig, ghc, Cabal, jailbreakCabal, enableLibraryProfiling ? false }:
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, lib, pkgconfig, ghc, Cabal, jailbreakCabal
+, enableLibraryProfiling ? false
+, enableCheckPhase ? true
+}:
+
+# The Cabal library shipped with GHC versions older than 7.x doesn't accept the --enable-tests configure flag.
+assert enableCheckPhase -> stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7" ghc.ghcVersion;
+
 {
   mkDerivation =
     args : # arguments for the individual package, can modify the defaults
@@ -18,6 +25,7 @@
           x : (removeAttrs x internalAttrs) // {
                 buildInputs           = stdenv.lib.filter (y : ! (y == null)) x.buildInputs;
                 propagatedBuildInputs = stdenv.lib.filter (y : ! (y == null)) x.propagatedBuildInputs;
+                doCheck               = enableCheckPhase && x.doCheck;
               };
 
         defaults =
@@ -92,7 +100,7 @@
 
             # pass the '--enable-tests' flag to cabal in the configure stage
             # and run any regression test suites the package might have
-            doCheck = stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7.4" ghc.ghcVersion;
+            doCheck = enableCheckPhase;
 
             extraConfigureFlags = [
               (stdenv.lib.enableFeature enableLibraryProfiling "library-profiling")
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/haskell-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/haskell-packages.nix
index 284824b8b9bf..82be9a4b7892 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/haskell-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/haskell-packages.nix
@@ -104,16 +104,13 @@ let result = let callPackage = x : y : modifyPrio (newScope result.final x y);
 
   cabal = callPackage ../build-support/cabal {
     enableLibraryProfiling = enableLibraryProfiling;
+    enableCheckPhase = pkgs.stdenv.lib.versionOlder "7.4" self.ghc.ghcVersion;
   };
 
   # A variant of the cabal build driver that disables unit testing.
   # Useful for breaking cycles, where the unit test of a package A
   # depends on package B, which has A as a regular build input.
-  cabalNoTest = {
-    mkDerivation = x: rec {
-      final = self.cabal.mkDerivation (self: (x final) // { doCheck = false; });
-    }.final;
-  };
+  cabalNoTest = self.cabal.override { enableCheckPhase = false; };
 
   # Convenience helper function.
   disableTest = x: x.override { cabal = self.cabalNoTest; };