diff --git a/pkgs/applications/misc/librecad/2.0.nix b/pkgs/applications/misc/librecad/2.0.nix
index 8b7a9a40c872..6cc775b72d39 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/misc/librecad/2.0.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/misc/librecad/2.0.nix
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
   '';
 
   configurePhase = ''
-    qmake librecad.pro PREFIX=$out MUPARSER_DIR=${muparser} BOOST_DIR=${boost}
+    qmake librecad.pro PREFIX=$out MUPARSER_DIR=${muparser} BOOST_DIR=${boost.dev}
   '';
 
   installPhase = ''
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/ekiga/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/ekiga/default.nix
index 27166f4bad13..cae9fe294f34 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/ekiga/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/instant-messengers/ekiga/default.nix
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   configureFlags = [
     "--with-ldap-dir=${openldap}"
     "--with-libsasl2-dir=${cyrus_sasl}"
+    "--with-boost-libdir=${boost.lib}/lib"
     "--disable-gconf"
   ];
 
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/default.nix
index 7b183a0211d3..ce219e220b1c 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/default.nix
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ let
      };
 
      buildInputs = [ boost mdds pkgconfig ];
+
+     configureFlags = [ "--with-boost=${boost.dev}" ];
   };
 
   fetchThirdParty = {name, md5, brief, subDir ? ""}: fetchurl {
@@ -60,6 +62,8 @@ let
       (import ./libreoffice-srcs.nix));
 
     buildInputs = [ boost mdds pkgconfig zlib libixion ];
+
+    configureFlags = [ "--with-boost=${boost.dev}" ];
   };
 
   fetchSrc = {name, sha256}: fetchurl {
@@ -180,6 +184,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   '';
 
   configureFlags = [
+    "--with-boost=${boost.dev}"
+    "--with-boost-libdir=${boost.lib}/lib"
     "--with-vendor=NixOS"
 
     # Without these, configure does not finish
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/version-management/gource/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/version-management/gource/default.nix
index 79a2d193a746..56095762f04b 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/version-management/gource/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/version-management/gource/default.nix
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     boost glm
   ];
 
+  configureFlags = [ "--with-boost-libdir=${boost.lib}/lib" ];
+
   NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-fpermissive"; # fix build with newer gcc versions
 
   meta = {
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/video/gnash/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/video/gnash/default.nix
index 515e2591461f..5a519e231c80 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/video/gnash/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/video/gnash/default.nix
@@ -30,12 +30,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     patch -p1 < ${patch_CVE}
 
     # Add all libs to `macros/libslist', a list of library search paths.
-    for lib in ${lib.concatStringsSep " "
-                                      (map (lib: "\"${lib}\"/lib")
-                                           (buildInputs ++ [stdenv.glibc]))}
-    do
+    libs=$(echo "$NIX_LDFLAGS" | tr ' ' '\n' | sed -n 's/.*-L\(.*\).*/\1/p')
+    for lib in $libs; do
       echo -n "$lib " >> macros/libslist
     done
+    echo -n "${stdenv.glibc}/lib" >> macros/libslist
 
     # Make sure to honor $TMPDIR, for chroot builds.
     for file in configure gui/Makefile.in Makefile.in
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/audio/lvtk/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/audio/lvtk/default.nix
index 7b296ea6d13e..6e2b9a31b304 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/audio/lvtk/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/audio/lvtk/default.nix
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   buildInputs = [ boost gtkmm lv2 pkgconfig python ];
 
   configurePhase = ''
-    python waf configure --prefix=$out --boost-includes=${boost}/include
+    python waf configure --prefix=$out --boost-includes="${boost.dev}/include"
   '';
 
   buildPhase = "python waf";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/exempi/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/exempi/default.nix
index 743824e4e9d2..e941f0f65476 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/exempi/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/exempi/default.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "01vcd1mfn2s0iiq2cjyzgvnxx6kcq9cwra1iipijhs0vwvjx0yhf";
   };
 
+  configureFlags = [ "--with-boost=${boost.dev}" ];
+
   buildInputs = [ expat zlib boost ];
 
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/text/source-highlight/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/text/source-highlight/default.nix
index 7303117f9b13..d5530a3df916 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/text/source-highlight/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/text/source-highlight/default.nix
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
   buildInputs = [ boost ];
 
-  enableParallelBuilding = false;
+  configureFlags = [ "--with-boost=${boost.lib}" ];
 
-  doCheck = true;
+  enableParallelBuilding = false;
 
   meta = {
     description = "Source code renderer with syntax highlighting";
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 5a4ec5d82b17..08258d98b726 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ let
 
   evtest = callPackage ../applications/misc/evtest { };
 
-  exempi = callPackage ../development/libraries/exempi { };
+  exempi = callPackage ../development/libraries/exempi { boost = boost155; };
 
   execline = callPackage ../tools/misc/execline { };
 
@@ -1280,7 +1280,7 @@ let
 
   googleAuthenticator = callPackage ../os-specific/linux/google-authenticator { };
 
-  gource = callPackage ../applications/version-management/gource {};
+  gource = callPackage ../applications/version-management/gource { };
 
   gparted = callPackage ../tools/misc/gparted { };
 
@@ -1639,7 +1639,9 @@ let
 
   memtest86plus = callPackage ../tools/misc/memtest86+ { };
 
-  meo = callPackage ../tools/security/meo { };
+  meo = callPackage ../tools/security/meo {
+    boost = boost155;
+  };
 
   mc = callPackage ../tools/misc/mc { };
 
@@ -7580,9 +7582,13 @@ let
 
   restund = callPackage ../servers/restund {};
 
-  rethinkdb = callPackage ../servers/nosql/rethinkdb { };
+  rethinkdb = callPackage ../servers/nosql/rethinkdb {
+    boost = boost155;
+  };
 
-  rippled = callPackage ../servers/rippled { };
+  rippled = callPackage ../servers/rippled {
+    boost = boost155;
+  };
 
   s6 = callPackage ../servers/s6 { };
 
@@ -9660,7 +9666,9 @@ let
     fltk = fltk13;
   };
 
-  hugin = callPackage ../applications/graphics/hugin { };
+  hugin = callPackage ../applications/graphics/hugin {
+    boost = boost155;
+  };
 
   hydrogen = callPackage ../applications/audio/hydrogen { };
 
@@ -9761,6 +9769,7 @@ let
 
   k3d = callPackage ../applications/graphics/k3d {
     inherit (pkgs.gnome2) gtkglext;
+    boost = boost155;
   };
 
   keepnote = callPackage ../applications/office/keepnote {
@@ -9820,6 +9829,7 @@ let
     inherit (gnome) GConf ORBit2 gnome_vfs;
     zip = zip.override { enableNLS = false; };
     jdk = openjdk;
+    boost = boost155;
     fontsConf = makeFontsConf {
       fontDirectories = [
         freefont_ttf xorg.fontmiscmisc xorg.fontbhttf
@@ -11211,7 +11221,9 @@ let
 
   glestae = callPackage ../games/glestae {};
 
-  globulation2 = callPackage ../games/globulation {};
+  globulation2 = callPackage ../games/globulation {
+    boost = boost155;
+  };
 
   gltron = callPackage ../games/gltron { };
 
@@ -11231,7 +11243,9 @@ let
 
   icbm3d = callPackage ../games/icbm3d { };
 
-  ingen = callPackage ../applications/audio/ingen { };
+  ingen = callPackage ../applications/audio/ingen {
+    boost = boost155;
+  };
 
   instead = callPackage ../games/instead {
     lua = lua5;
@@ -11336,7 +11350,9 @@ let
   # You still can override by passing more arguments.
   spaceOrbit = callPackage ../games/orbit { };
 
-  spring = callPackage ../games/spring { };
+  spring = callPackage ../games/spring {
+    boost = boost155;
+  };
 
   springLobby = callPackage ../games/spring/springlobby.nix { };