diff --git a/pkgs/tools/text/gnugrep/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/text/gnugrep/default.nix
index c44aa10c7008..5e1efba7c002 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/text/gnugrep/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/text/gnugrep/default.nix
@@ -18,4 +18,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     homepage = http://www.gnu.org/software/grep/;
     description = "GNU implementation of the Unix grep command";
   };
+
+  passthru = {inherit pcre;};
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 750236f44d48..52281a9b5c9d 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ let
   };
 
   coreutils = useFromStdenv "coreutils"
-    ((if stdenv ? isDietLibC
+    (makeOverridable (if stdenv ? isDietLibC
       then import ../tools/misc/coreutils-5
       else import ../tools/misc/coreutils)
     {