diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/skalibs/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/skalibs/default.nix
index 1b5a990b19de..349e5582013f 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/skalibs/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/skalibs/default.nix
@@ -23,7 +23,14 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--libdir=\${prefix}/lib"
     "--includedir=\${prefix}/include"
     "--sysdepdir=\${prefix}/lib/skalibs/sysdeps"
-  ] ++ (if stdenv.isDarwin then [ "--disable-shared" ] else [ "--enable-shared" ]);
+  ]
+  ++ (if stdenv.isDarwin then [ "--disable-shared" ] else [ "--enable-shared" ])
+  # On darwin, the target triplet from -dumpmachine includes version number, but
+  # skarnet.org software uses the triplet to test binary compatibility.
+  # Explicitly setting target ensures code can be compiled against a skalibs
+  # binary built on a different version of darwin.
+  # http://www.skarnet.org/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?1:mss:623:heiodchokfjdkonfhdph
+  ++ (stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin "--target=${stdenv.system}");
 
   meta = {
     homepage = http://skarnet.org/software/skalibs/;
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/execline/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/execline/default.nix
index 5d8e36ba83c1..1726afca0d02 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/misc/execline/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/execline/default.nix
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--with-include=${skalibs}/include"
     "--with-lib=${skalibs}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${skalibs}/lib"
-  ] ++ (if stdenv.isDarwin then [ "--disable-shared" ] else [ "--enable-shared" ]);
+  ]
+  ++ (if stdenv.isDarwin then [ "--disable-shared" ] else [ "--enable-shared" ])
+  ++ (stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin "--target=${stdenv.system}");
 
   meta = {
     homepage = http://skarnet.org/software/execline/;
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/s6-portable-utils/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/s6-portable-utils/default.nix
index b8107f20005f..70b36222cca9 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/misc/s6-portable-utils/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/s6-portable-utils/default.nix
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--with-include=${skalibs}/include"
     "--with-lib=${skalibs}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${skalibs}/lib"
-  ];
+  ]
+  ++ (stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin "--target=${stdenv.system}");
 
   meta = {
     homepage = http://www.skarnet.org/software/s6-portable-utils/;
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/networking/s6-dns/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/networking/s6-dns/default.nix
index 653eee56f093..8715cb0c45cc 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/networking/s6-dns/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/networking/s6-dns/default.nix
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--with-include=${skalibs}/include"
     "--with-lib=${skalibs}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${skalibs}/lib"
-  ] ++ (if stdenv.isDarwin then [ "--disable-shared" ] else [ "--enable-shared" ]);
+  ]
+  ++ (if stdenv.isDarwin then [ "--disable-shared" ] else [ "--enable-shared" ])
+  ++ (stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin "--target=${stdenv.system}");
 
   meta = {
     homepage = http://www.skarnet.org/software/s6-dns/;
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/networking/s6-networking/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/networking/s6-networking/default.nix
index f102405e5bb9..603b2f61551b 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/networking/s6-networking/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/networking/s6-networking/default.nix
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--with-dynlib=${execline}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${s6}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${s6Dns}/lib"
-  ];
+  ]
+  ++ (stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin "--target=${stdenv.system}");
 
   meta = {
     homepage = http://www.skarnet.org/software/s6-networking/;
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/system/s6-rc/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/system/s6-rc/default.nix
index c86cd7a2f520..35763e8212e3 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/system/s6-rc/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/system/s6-rc/default.nix
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--with-dynlib=${skalibs}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${execline}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${s6}/lib"
-  ] ++ [ (if stdenv.isDarwin then "--disable-shared" else "--enable-shared") ];
+  ]
+  ++ (if stdenv.isDarwin then [ "--disable-shared" ] else [ "--enable-shared" ])
+  ++ (stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin "--target=${stdenv.system}");
 
   meta = {
     homepage = http://skarnet.org/software/s6-rc/;
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/system/s6/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/system/s6/default.nix
index 04f723fabc07..e1e30de5799f 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/system/s6/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/system/s6/default.nix
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--with-lib=${execline}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${skalibs}/lib"
     "--with-dynlib=${execline}/lib"
-  ] ++ [ (if stdenv.isDarwin then "--disable-shared" else "--enable-shared") ];
+  ]
+  ++ (if stdenv.isDarwin then [ "--disable-shared" ] else [ "--enable-shared" ])
+  ++ (stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin "--target=${stdenv.system}");
 
   preBuild = ''
     substituteInPlace "src/daemontools-extras/s6-log.c" \