diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/cpython/2.7/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/cpython/2.7/default.nix
index 505929df8ef0..894a9b084c68 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/cpython/2.7/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/cpython/2.7/default.nix
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ let
     executable = libPrefix;
     pythonVersion = with sourceVersion; "${major}.${minor}";
     sitePackages = "lib/${libPrefix}/site-packages";
-    inherit pythonForBuild;
+    inherit hasDistutilsCxxPatch pythonForBuild;
   } // {
     inherit ucsEncoding;
   };
diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/cpython/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/cpython/default.nix
index 7d90e201d192..60ea3bdf4c7f 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/cpython/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/cpython/default.nix
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ let
     executable = libPrefix;
     pythonVersion = with sourceVersion; "${major}.${minor}";
     sitePackages = "lib/${libPrefix}/site-packages";
-    inherit pythonForBuild;
+    inherit hasDistutilsCxxPatch pythonForBuild;
   };
 
   version = with sourceVersion; "${major}.${minor}.${patch}${suffix}";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
index ef4cab350211..119c0a2728b4 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/default.nix
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ with pkgs;
     , pythonVersion
     , packageOverrides
     , sitePackages
+    , hasDistutilsCxxPatch
     , pythonForBuild
     , self
     }: let
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ with pkgs;
         inherit sourceVersion;
         pythonAtLeast = lib.versionAtLeast pythonVersion;
         pythonOlder = lib.versionOlder pythonVersion;
-        inherit pythonForBuild;
+        inherit hasDistutilsCxxPatch pythonForBuild;
   };
 
 in {
diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/pypy/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/pypy/default.nix
index 46cf0475de45..3cdc30b92340 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/pypy/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/pypy/default.nix
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ let
     executable = "pypy${if isPy3k then "3" else ""}";
     pythonForBuild = self; # No cross-compiling for now.
     sitePackages = "site-packages";
+    hasDistutilsCxxPatch = false;
   };
   pname = passthru.executable;
   version = with sourceVersion; "${major}.${minor}.${patch}";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/pypy/prebuilt.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/pypy/prebuilt.nix
index ee556ba05bf5..552f230ee712 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/pypy/prebuilt.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/pypy/prebuilt.nix
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ let
     executable = "pypy${if isPy3k then "3" else ""}";
     pythonForBuild = self; # Not possible to cross-compile with.
     sitePackages = "site-packages";
+    hasDistutilsCxxPatch = false;
   };
   pname = "${passthru.executable}_prebuilt";
   version = with sourceVersion; "${major}.${minor}.${patch}";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/numpy/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/numpy/default.nix
index 8a7deb934ae7..171496584ef2 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/numpy/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/numpy/default.nix
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ in buildPythonPackage rec {
   nativeBuildInputs = [ gfortran pytest ];
   buildInputs = [ blas ];
 
-  patches = lib.optionals (python.hasDistutilsCxxPatch or false) [
+  patches = lib.optionals python.hasDistutilsCxxPatch [
     # We patch cpython/distutils to fix https://bugs.python.org/issue1222585
     # Patching of numpy.distutils is needed to prevent it from undoing the
     # patch to distutils.