diff --git a/lib/attrsets.nix b/lib/attrsets.nix
index f47e481c58a4..686e125f100c 100644
--- a/lib/attrsets.nix
+++ b/lib/attrsets.nix
@@ -454,6 +454,8 @@ rec {
   getLib = getOutput "lib";
   getDev = getOutput "dev";
 
+  /* Pick the outputs of packages to place in buildInputs */
+  chooseDevOutputs = drvs: builtins.map (drv: if drv.outputUnspecified or false then drv.dev or drv else drv) drvs;
 
   /*** deprecated stuff ***/
 
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
index cf7894fc005b..e71c2f770b9b 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/default.nix
@@ -158,9 +158,13 @@ let
         outputs ++
         (if separateDebugInfo then assert result.isLinux; [ "debug" ] else []);
 
-      buildInputs' = buildInputs ++
+      buildInputs' = lib.chooseDevOutputs buildInputs ++
         (if separateDebugInfo then [ ../../build-support/setup-hooks/separate-debug-info.sh ] else []);
 
+      nativeBuildInputs' = lib.chooseDevOutputs nativeBuildInputs;
+      propagatedBuildInputs' = lib.chooseDevOutputs propagatedBuildInputs;
+      propagatedNativeBuildInputs' = lib.chooseDevOutputs propagatedNativeBuildInputs;
+
     in
 
       # Throw an error if trying to evaluate an non-valid derivation
@@ -176,13 +180,13 @@ let
            "sandboxProfile" "propagatedSandboxProfile"])
         // (let
           computedSandboxProfile =
-            lib.concatMap (input: input.__propagatedSandboxProfile or []) (extraBuildInputs ++ buildInputs ++ nativeBuildInputs);
+            lib.concatMap (input: input.__propagatedSandboxProfile or []) (extraBuildInputs ++ buildInputs' ++ nativeBuildInputs');
           computedPropagatedSandboxProfile =
-            lib.concatMap (input: input.__propagatedSandboxProfile or []) (propagatedBuildInputs ++ propagatedNativeBuildInputs);
+            lib.concatMap (input: input.__propagatedSandboxProfile or []) (propagatedBuildInputs' ++ propagatedNativeBuildInputs');
           computedImpureHostDeps =
-            lib.unique (lib.concatMap (input: input.__propagatedImpureHostDeps or []) (extraBuildInputs ++ buildInputs ++ nativeBuildInputs));
+            lib.unique (lib.concatMap (input: input.__propagatedImpureHostDeps or []) (extraBuildInputs ++ buildInputs' ++ nativeBuildInputs'));
           computedPropagatedImpureHostDeps =
-            lib.unique (lib.concatMap (input: input.__propagatedImpureHostDeps or []) (propagatedBuildInputs ++ propagatedNativeBuildInputs));
+            lib.unique (lib.concatMap (input: input.__propagatedImpureHostDeps or []) (propagatedBuildInputs' ++ propagatedNativeBuildInputs'));
         in
         {
           builder = attrs.realBuilder or shell;
@@ -194,17 +198,17 @@ let
 
           # Inputs built by the cross compiler.
           buildInputs = if crossConfig != null then buildInputs' else [];
-          propagatedBuildInputs = if crossConfig != null then propagatedBuildInputs else [];
+          propagatedBuildInputs = if crossConfig != null then propagatedBuildInputs' else [];
           # Inputs built by the usual native compiler.
-          nativeBuildInputs = nativeBuildInputs
+          nativeBuildInputs = nativeBuildInputs'
             ++ lib.optionals (crossConfig == null) buildInputs'
             ++ lib.optional
                 (result.isCygwin
                   || (crossConfig != null && lib.hasSuffix "mingw32" crossConfig))
                 ../../build-support/setup-hooks/win-dll-link.sh
             ;
-          propagatedNativeBuildInputs = propagatedNativeBuildInputs ++
-            (if crossConfig == null then propagatedBuildInputs else []);
+          propagatedNativeBuildInputs = propagatedNativeBuildInputs' ++
+            (if crossConfig == null then propagatedBuildInputs' else []);
         } // ifDarwin {
           # TODO: remove lib.unique once nix has a list canonicalization primitive
           __sandboxProfile =