diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
index da4a94e34b01a..1fed692fd1cee 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 { pkgspath ? ../../.., test-pkgspath ? pkgspath
-, localSystem ? { system = builtins.currentSystem; }
-, crossSystem ? null
-, bootstrapFiles ? null
+, system ? builtins.currentSystem, crossSystem ? null, bootstrapFiles ? null
 }:
 
 let cross = if crossSystem != null
@@ -13,7 +11,7 @@ let cross = if crossSystem != null
               in (import "${pkgspath}/pkgs/stdenv/darwin" args').stagesDarwin;
            }
       else {};
-in with import pkgspath ({ inherit localSystem; } // cross // custom-bootstrap);
+in with import pkgspath ({ inherit system; } // cross // custom-bootstrap);
 
 let
   llvmPackages = llvmPackages_11;
@@ -366,7 +364,7 @@ in rec {
   test-pkgs = import test-pkgspath {
     # if the bootstrap tools are for another platform, we should be testing
     # that platform.
-    localSystem = if crossSystem != null then crossSystem else localSystem;
+    system = if crossSystem != null then crossSystem else system;
 
     stdenvStages = args: let
         args' = args // { inherit bootstrapLlvmVersion bootstrapFiles; };
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
index b2d04c8667d5f..d23a996dfcb48 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-{ pkgs ? import ../../.. {} }:
+{ localSystem ? { system = builtins.currentSystem; }
+, crossSystem ? null
+}:
 
 let
+  pkgs = import ../../.. { inherit localSystem crossSystem; };
   libc = pkgs.stdenv.cc.libc;
 in with pkgs; rec {
 
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 9af17a4d2253c..dcdae6713d01b 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -2054,18 +2054,13 @@ with pkgs;
 
   brewtarget = libsForQt514.callPackage ../applications/misc/brewtarget { } ;
 
-  # Derivation's result is not used by nixpkgs. Useful for validation for
-  # regressions of bootstrapTools on hydra and on ofborg. Example:
-  #     pkgsCross.aarch64-multiplatform.freshBootstrapTools.build
-  freshBootstrapTools = if stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin then
-    callPackage ../stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix {
-      localSystem = stdenv.buildPlatform;
-      crossSystem =
-        if stdenv.buildPlatform == stdenv.hostPlatform then null else stdenv.hostPlatform;
-    }
-  else if stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux then
-    callPackage ../stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix {}
-  else throw "freshBootstrapTools: unknown hostPlatform ${stdenv.hostPlatform.config}";
+  freshBootstrapTools =
+    let args = { crossSystem = stdenv.hostPlatform.system; }; in
+    if stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin
+    then callPackage ../stdenv/darwin/make-bootstrap-tools.nix args
+    else if stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux
+    then callPackage ../stdenv/linux/make-bootstrap-tools.nix args
+    else throw "freshBootstrapTools: unknown hostPlatform ${stdenv.hostPlatform.config}";
 
   boxes = callPackage ../tools/text/boxes { };