diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/ccache/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/ccache/default.nix
index 5c83adfe4a8c..2cd00f51d9d4 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/ccache/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/ccache/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{stdenv, fetchurl, runCommand, gcc}:
+{stdenv, fetchurl, runCommand, gcc, zlib}:
 
 let
   ccache =
@@ -9,17 +9,19 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     sha256 = "04ax6ks49b6rn57hx4v9wbvmsfmw6ipn0wyfqwhh4lzw70flv3r7";
   };
 
+  buildInputs = [ zlib ];
+
   passthru = {
     # A derivation that provides gcc and g++ commands, but that
     # will end up calling ccache for the given cacheDir
-    links = cacheDir : (runCommand "ccache-links"
+    links = extraConfig : (runCommand "ccache-links"
         { inherit (gcc) langC langCC; }
       ''
         mkdir -p $out/bin
         if [ $langC -eq 1 ]; then
           cat > $out/bin/gcc << EOF
           #!/bin/sh
-          export CCACHE_DIR=${cacheDir}
+          ${extraConfig}
           exec ${ccache}/bin/ccache ${gcc.gcc}/bin/gcc "\$@"
         EOF
           chmod +x $out/bin/gcc
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
         if [ $langCC -eq 1 ]; then
           cat > $out/bin/g++ << EOF
           #!/bin/sh
-          export CCACHE_DIR=${cacheDir}
+          ${extraConfig}
           exec ${ccache}/bin/ccache ${gcc.gcc}/bin/g++ "\$@"
         EOF
           chmod +x $out/bin/g++
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 01cae669fed1..f51000ee6286 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -2895,10 +2895,12 @@ let
 
   # Wrapper that works as gcc or g++
   # It can be used by setting in nixpkgs config like this, for example:
-  #    replaceStdenv = { pkgs }: (pkgs.ccacheStdenv "/var/ccache");
+  #    replaceStdenv = { pkgs }: pkgs.ccacheStdenv "exports CCACHE_DIR=/var/ccache";
   # But if you build in chroot, you should have that path in chroot
-  ccacheWrapper = cacheDir: wrapGCC (ccache.links cacheDir);
-  ccacheStdenv = cacheDir: overrideGCC stdenv (ccacheWrapper cacheDir);
+  # If instantiated directly, it will use the HOME/.ccache as cache directory.
+  ccacheWrapper = { extraConfig ? "" }: wrapGCC (ccache.links extraConfig);
+  ccacheStdenv = extraConfig: overrideGCC stdenv
+    (ccacheWrapper { inherit extraConfig; } );
 
   complexity = callPackage ../development/tools/misc/complexity { };