diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/setup-hooks/use-old-cxx-abi.sh b/pkgs/build-support/setup-hooks/use-old-cxx-abi.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..53335d7a9a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/setup-hooks/use-old-cxx-abi.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE+=" -D_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI=0"
diff --git a/pkgs/games/steam/chrootenv.nix b/pkgs/games/steam/chrootenv.nix
index 35b3611812b..8bb73fc5cef 100644
--- a/pkgs/games/steam/chrootenv.nix
+++ b/pkgs/games/steam/chrootenv.nix
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ buildFHSUserEnv {
     ]
     ++ lib.optional withJava jdk
     ++ lib.optional withPrimus (primus.override {
-      stdenv = useOldCXXAbi stdenv;
-      stdenv_i686 = useOldCXXAbi pkgsi686Linux.stdenv;
+      stdenv = overrideInStdenv stdenv [ useOldCXXAbi ];
+      stdenv_i686 = overrideInStdenv pkgsi686Linux.stdenv [ useOldCXXAbi ];
     })
     ;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
index 8398c45400e..87d3938f13d 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
@@ -242,10 +242,4 @@ rec {
       else pkgs.stdenv;
   };
 
-  /* Modify a stdenv so a build uses pre-C++11 ABI by default. */
-  useOldCXXAbi = stdenv: stdenv //
-    { mkDerivation = args: stdenv.mkDerivation (args // {
-        NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString (args.NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE or "") + " -D_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI=0";
-      });
-    };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index cca23969c83..22303669f9c 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -325,6 +325,8 @@ in
 
   separateDebugInfo = makeSetupHook { } ../build-support/setup-hooks/separate-debug-info.sh;
 
+  useOldCXXAbi = makeSetupHook { } ../build-support/setup-hooks/use-old-cxx-abi.sh;
+
 
   ### TOOLS