diff --git a/doc/hooks/postgresql-test-hook.section.md b/doc/hooks/postgresql-test-hook.section.md
index 64f7fd415b18..c53d841883e5 100644
--- a/doc/hooks/postgresql-test-hook.section.md
+++ b/doc/hooks/postgresql-test-hook.section.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
   # ...
 
-  checkInputs = [
+  nativeCheckInputs = [
     postgresql
     postgresqlTestHook
   ];
diff --git a/doc/languages-frameworks/python.section.md b/doc/languages-frameworks/python.section.md
index 2f15d0f0468a..7b8a804106af 100644
--- a/doc/languages-frameworks/python.section.md
+++ b/doc/languages-frameworks/python.section.md
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ arguments `buildInputs` and `propagatedBuildInputs` to specify dependencies. If
 something is exclusively a build-time dependency, then the dependency should be
 included in `buildInputs`, but if it is (also) a runtime dependency, then it
 should be added to `propagatedBuildInputs`. Test dependencies are considered
-build-time dependencies and passed to `checkInputs`.
+build-time dependencies and passed to `nativeCheckInputs`.
 
 The following example shows which arguments are given to `buildPythonPackage` in
 order to build [`datashape`](https://github.com/blaze/datashape).
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     hash = "sha256-FLLvdm1MllKrgTGC6Gb0k0deZeVYvtCCLji/B7uhong=";
   };
 
-  checkInputs = [ pytest ];
+  nativeCheckInputs = [ pytest ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ numpy multipledispatch python-dateutil ];
 
   meta = with lib; {
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
 ```
 
 We can see several runtime dependencies, `numpy`, `multipledispatch`, and
-`python-dateutil`. Furthermore, we have one `checkInputs`, i.e. `pytest`. `pytest` is a
+`python-dateutil`. Furthermore, we have one `nativeCheckInputs`, i.e. `pytest`. `pytest` is a
 test runner and is only used during the `checkPhase` and is therefore not added
 to `propagatedBuildInputs`.
 
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ Pytest is the most common test runner for python repositories. A trivial
 test run would be:
 
 ```
-  checkInputs = [ pytest ];
+  nativeCheckInputs = [ pytest ];
   checkPhase = ''
     runHook preCheck
 
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ sandbox, and will generally need many tests to be disabled.
 To filter tests using pytest, one can do the following:
 
 ```
-  checkInputs = [ pytest ];
+  nativeCheckInputs = [ pytest ];
   # avoid tests which need additional data or touch network
   checkPhase = ''
     runHook preCheck
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ when a package may need many items disabled to run the test suite.
 Using the example above, the analogous `pytestCheckHook` usage would be:
 
 ```
-  checkInputs = [ pytestCheckHook ];
+  nativeCheckInputs = [ pytestCheckHook ];
 
   # requires additional data
   pytestFlagsArray = [ "tests/" "--ignore=tests/integration" ];
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ with the exception of `other` (see `format` in
 `unittestCheckHook` is a hook which will substitute the setuptools `test` command for a `checkPhase` which runs `python -m unittest discover`:
 
 ```
-  checkInputs = [ unittestCheckHook ];
+  nativeCheckInputs = [ unittestCheckHook ];
 
   unittestFlags = [ "-s" "tests" "-v" ];
 ```
@@ -1006,7 +1006,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     rm testing/test_argcomplete.py
   '';
 
-  checkInputs = [ hypothesis ];
+  nativeCheckInputs = [ hypothesis ];
   nativeBuildInputs = [ setuptools-scm ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ attrs py setuptools six pluggy ];
 
@@ -1028,7 +1028,7 @@ The `buildPythonPackage` mainly does four things:
 * In the `installCheck` phase, `${python.interpreter} setup.py test` is run.
 
 By default tests are run because `doCheck = true`. Test dependencies, like
-e.g. the test runner, should be added to `checkInputs`.
+e.g. the test runner, should be added to `nativeCheckInputs`.
 
 By default `meta.platforms` is set to the same value
 as the interpreter unless overridden otherwise.
@@ -1082,7 +1082,7 @@ because their behaviour is different:
 * `buildInputs ? []`: Build and/or run-time dependencies that need to be
   compiled for the host machine. Typically non-Python libraries which are being
   linked.
-* `checkInputs ? []`: Dependencies needed for running the `checkPhase`. These
+* `nativeCheckInputs ? []`: Dependencies needed for running the `checkPhase`. These
   are added to `nativeBuildInputs` when `doCheck = true`. Items listed in
   `tests_require` go here.
 * `propagatedBuildInputs ? []`: Aside from propagating dependencies,
@@ -1416,7 +1416,7 @@ example of such a situation is when `py.test` is used.
   buildPythonPackage {
     # ...
     # assumes the tests are located in tests
-    checkInputs = [ pytest ];
+    nativeCheckInputs = [ pytest ];
     checkPhase = ''
       runHook preCheck
 
@@ -1768,7 +1768,7 @@ In a `setup.py` or `setup.cfg` it is common to declare dependencies:
 
 * `setup_requires` corresponds to `nativeBuildInputs`
 * `install_requires` corresponds to `propagatedBuildInputs`
-* `tests_require` corresponds to `checkInputs`
+* `tests_require` corresponds to `nativeCheckInputs`
 
 ## Contributing {#contributing}
 
diff --git a/doc/stdenv/stdenv.chapter.md b/doc/stdenv/stdenv.chapter.md
index 7d861860a723..e66cc3476776 100644
--- a/doc/stdenv/stdenv.chapter.md
+++ b/doc/stdenv/stdenv.chapter.md
@@ -654,7 +654,11 @@ A list of strings passed as additional flags to `make`. Like `makeFlags` and `ma
 
 ##### `checkInputs` {#var-stdenv-checkInputs}
 
-A list of dependencies used by the phase. This gets included in `nativeBuildInputs` when `doCheck` is set.
+A list of host dependencies used by the phase, usually libraries linked into executables built during tests. This gets included in `buildInputs` when `doCheck` is set.
+
+##### `nativeCheckInputs` {#var-stdenv-nativeCheckInputs}
+
+A list of native dependencies used by the phase, notably tools needed on `$PATH`. This gets included in `nativeBuildInputs` when `doCheck` is set.
 
 ##### `preCheck` {#var-stdenv-preCheck}
 
@@ -821,7 +825,11 @@ A list of strings passed as additional flags to `make`. Like `makeFlags` and `ma
 
 ##### `installCheckInputs` {#var-stdenv-installCheckInputs}
 
-A list of dependencies used by the phase. This gets included in `nativeBuildInputs` when `doInstallCheck` is set.
+A list of host dependencies used by the phase, usually libraries linked into executables built during tests. This gets included in `buildInputs` when `doInstallCheck` is set.
+
+##### `nativeInstallCheckInputs` {#var-stdenv-nativeInstallCheckInputs}
+
+A list of native dependencies used by the phase, notably tools needed on `$PATH`. This gets included in `nativeBuildInputs` when `doInstallCheck` is set.
 
 ##### `preInstallCheck` {#var-stdenv-preInstallCheck}
 
diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/release-notes/rl-2305.section.xml b/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/release-notes/rl-2305.section.xml
index 6cafb6dd421f..d5afcac8556d 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/release-notes/rl-2305.section.xml
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/release-notes/rl-2305.section.xml
@@ -146,6 +146,30 @@
           instead.
         </para>
       </listitem>
+      <listitem>
+        <para>
+          <literal>checkInputs</literal> have been renamed to
+          <literal>nativeCheckInputs</literal>, because they behave the
+          same as <literal>nativeBuildInputs</literal> when
+          <literal>doCheck</literal> is set.
+          <literal>checkInputs</literal> now denote a new type of
+          dependencies, added to <literal>buildInputs</literal> when
+          <literal>doCheck</literal> is set. As a rule of thumb,
+          <literal>nativeCheckInputs</literal> are tools on
+          <literal>$PATH</literal> used during the tests, and
+          <literal>checkInputs</literal> are libraries which are linked
+          to executables built as part of the tests. Similarly,
+          <literal>installCheckInputs</literal> are renamed to
+          <literal>nativeInstallCheckInputs</literal>, corresponding to
+          <literal>nativeBuildInputs</literal>, and
+          <literal>installCheckInputs</literal> are a new type of
+          dependencies added to <literal>buildInputs</literal> when
+          <literal>doInstallCheck</literal> is set. (Note that this
+          change will not cause breakage to derivations with
+          <literal>strictDeps</literal> unset, which are most packages
+          except python, rust and go packages).
+        </para>
+      </listitem>
       <listitem>
         <para>
           <literal>borgbackup</literal> module now has an option for
diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2305.section.md b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2305.section.md
index 8c25eae45588..74e048beb245 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2305.section.md
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2305.section.md
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ In addition to numerous new and upgraded packages, this release has the followin
 
 - `carnix` and `cratesIO` has been removed due to being unmaintained, use alternatives such as [naersk](https://github.com/nix-community/naersk) and [crate2nix](https://github.com/kolloch/crate2nix) instead.
 
+- `checkInputs` have been renamed to `nativeCheckInputs`, because they behave the same as `nativeBuildInputs` when `doCheck` is set. `checkInputs` now denote a new type of dependencies, added to `buildInputs` when `doCheck` is set. As a rule of thumb, `nativeCheckInputs` are tools on `$PATH` used during the tests, and `checkInputs` are libraries which are linked to executables built as part of the tests. Similarly, `installCheckInputs` are renamed to `nativeInstallCheckInputs`, corresponding to `nativeBuildInputs`, and `installCheckInputs` are a new type of dependencies added to `buildInputs` when `doInstallCheck` is set. (Note that this change will not cause breakage to derivations with `strictDeps` unset, which are most packages except python, rust and go packages).
+
 - `borgbackup` module now has an option for inhibiting system sleep while backups are running, defaulting to off (not inhibiting sleep), available as [`services.borgbackup.jobs.<name>.inhibitsSleep`](#opt-services.borgbackup.jobs._name_.inhibitsSleep).
 
 - `podman` now uses the `netavark` network stack. Users will need to delete all of their local containers, images, volumes, etc, by running `podman system reset --force` once before upgrading their systems.