diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/configure-flags.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/configure-flags.nix
index aa8ecc62e55ad87..ae4ef6bddf676ae 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/configure-flags.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/configure-flags.nix
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ let
       "--disable-threads"
       "--disable-libgomp"
       "--disable-libquadmath"
-      "--disable-shared"
       "--disable-libatomic" # requires libc
       "--disable-decimal-float" # requires libc
       "--disable-libmpx" # requires libc
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/pre-configure.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/pre-configure.nix
index 58e44b96b5d34e2..bfdab20df1a2a43 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/pre-configure.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/gcc/common/pre-configure.nix
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
-{ lib, version, buildPlatform, hostPlatform, targetPlatform
+{ lib
+, stdenv
+, version, buildPlatform, hostPlatform, targetPlatform
 , gnat-bootstrap ? null
 , langAda ? false
 , langJava ? false
 , langJit ? false
 , langGo
-, crossStageStatic
+, withoutTargetLibc
+, enableShared
 , enableMultilib
 }:
 
@@ -109,6 +112,17 @@ in lib.optionalString (hostPlatform.isSunOS && hostPlatform.is64bit) ''
   export inhibit_libc=true
 ''
 
+# Trick to build a gcc that is capable of emitting shared libraries *without* having the
+# targetPlatform libc available beforehand.  Taken from:
+#   https://web.archive.org/web/20170222224855/http://frank.harvard.edu/~coldwell/toolchain/
+#   https://web.archive.org/web/20170224235700/http://frank.harvard.edu/~coldwell/toolchain/t-linux.diff
++ lib.optionalString (targetPlatform != hostPlatform && withoutTargetLibc && enableShared)
+  (lib.optionalString (!stdenv.targetPlatform.isPower) ''
+    echo 'libgcc.a: crti.o crtn.o' >> libgcc/Makefile.in
+  '' + ''
+    echo 'SHLIB_LC=' >> libgcc/Makefile.in
+  '')
+
 + lib.optionalString (!enableMultilib && hostPlatform.is64bit && !hostPlatform.isMips64n32) ''
   export linkLib64toLib=1
 ''
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/windows/default.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/windows/default.nix
index 8d6dd50548e5151..12859de8a20fe8b 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/windows/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/windows/default.nix
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ lib.makeScope newScope (self: with self; {
   crossThreadsStdenv = overrideCC crossLibcStdenv
     (if stdenv.hostPlatform.useLLVM or false
      then buildPackages.llvmPackages_8.clangNoLibcxx
-     else buildPackages.gccCrossStageStatic.override (old: {
+     else buildPackages.gccWithoutTargetLibc.override (old: {
        bintools = old.bintools.override {
          libc = libcCross;
        };
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index faa09a9732f4e62..ff0b9db18e3aad2 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -14346,7 +14346,7 @@ with pkgs;
   xbursttools = callPackage ../tools/misc/xburst-tools {
     # It needs a cross compiler for mipsel to build the firmware it will
     # load into the Ben Nanonote
-    gccCross = pkgsCross.ben-nanonote.buildPackages.gccCrossStageStatic;
+    gccCross = pkgsCross.ben-nanonote.buildPackages.gccWithoutTargetLibc;
     autoconf = buildPackages.autoconf269;
   };
 
@@ -15266,7 +15266,7 @@ with pkgs;
     dontStrip = true;
   })));
 
-  gccCrossLibcStdenv = overrideCC stdenv buildPackages.gccCrossStageStatic;
+  gccCrossLibcStdenv = overrideCC stdenv buildPackages.gccWithoutTargetLibc;
 
   crossLibcStdenv =
     if stdenv.hostPlatform.useLLVM or false || stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin
@@ -15275,7 +15275,7 @@ with pkgs;
 
   # The GCC used to build libc for the target platform. Normal gccs will be
   # built with, and use, that cross-compiled libc.
-  gccCrossStageStatic = assert stdenv.targetPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform; let
+  gccWithoutTargetLibc = assert stdenv.targetPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform; let
     libcCross1 = binutilsNoLibc.libc;
     in wrapCCWith {
       cc = gccFun {
@@ -15292,7 +15292,6 @@ with pkgs;
         langCC = false;
         libcCross = libcCross1;
         targetPackages.stdenv.cc.bintools = binutilsNoLibc;
-        enableShared = false;
       };
       bintools = binutilsNoLibc;
       libc = libcCross1;