diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/ocaml/findlib/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/ocaml/findlib/default.nix
index 3d4c919bd835..4b02231b471f 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/ocaml/findlib/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/ocaml/findlib/default.nix
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
         if test -d "''$1/lib/ocaml/${ocaml.version}/site-lib/stublibs"; then
             export CAML_LD_LIBRARY_PATH="''${CAML_LD_LIBRARY_PATH-}''${CAML_LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:}''$1/lib/ocaml/${ocaml.version}/site-lib/stublibs"
         fi
+    }
+    createOcamlDestDir () {
         export OCAMLFIND_DESTDIR="''$out/lib/ocaml/${ocaml.version}/site-lib/"
         if test -n "''${createFindlibDestdir-}"; then
           mkdir -p $OCAMLFIND_DESTDIR
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     }
 
     addEnvHooks "$targetOffset" addOCamlPath
+    preConfigureHooks+=(createOcamlDestDir)
   '';
 
   meta = {