diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/emacs/mk-wrapper-subdirs.el b/pkgs/build-support/emacs/mk-wrapper-subdirs.el
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7d30400a5c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/emacs/mk-wrapper-subdirs.el
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+(defmacro mk-subdirs-expr (path)
+  `(setq load-path
+         (delete-dups (append '(,path)
+                              ',(let ((default-directory path))
+                                  (normal-top-level-add-subdirs-to-load-path))
+                              load-path))))
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/emacs/wrapper.nix b/pkgs/build-support/emacs/wrapper.nix
index ccbd58485ea..2aa61d6d2f6 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/emacs/wrapper.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/emacs/wrapper.nix
@@ -165,8 +165,13 @@ runCommand
           (add-to-list 'native-comp-eln-load-path "$out/share/emacs/native-lisp/")
         ''}
         EOF
-        # Link subdirs.el from the emacs distribution
-        ln -s $emacs/share/emacs/site-lisp/subdirs.el -T $subdirs
+
+        # Generate a subdirs.el that statically adds all subdirectories to load-path.
+        $emacs/bin/emacs \
+          --batch \
+          --load ${./mk-wrapper-subdirs.el} \
+          --eval "(prin1 (macroexpand-1 '(mk-subdirs-expr \"$out/share/emacs/site-lisp\")))" \
+          > "$subdirs"
 
         # Byte-compiling improves start-up time only slightly, but costs nothing.
         $emacs/bin/emacs --batch -f batch-byte-compile "$siteStart" "$subdirs"