diff --git a/pkgs/applications/graphics/apngasm/2.nix b/pkgs/applications/graphics/apngasm/2.nix
index cd518f5df658..0435ec6236a8 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/graphics/apngasm/2.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/graphics/apngasm/2.nix
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     rm -rf libpng zlib zopfli
   '';
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lzopfli";
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lzopfli";
 
   installPhase = ''
     install -Dt $out/bin apngasm
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ap/aprutil/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ap/aprutil/package.nix
index 66c9d3af92dc..f140e7a61493 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ap/aprutil/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ap/aprutil/package.nix
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   ]
   ++ lib.optional stdenv.hostPlatform.isFreeBSD ./include-static-dependencies.patch;
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = [ "-lcrypt" ];
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [ "-lcrypt" ];
 
   outputs = [
     "out"
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ds/dsniff/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ds/dsniff/package.nix
index 22069f210ab6..8d935d49f6f2 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ds/dsniff/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ds/dsniff/package.nix
@@ -103,8 +103,19 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     libnsl
     libnl
   ];
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lglib-2.0 -lpthread -ltirpc -lnl-3 -lnl-genl-3";
-  env.NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString [ "-I${libtirpc.dev}/include/tirpc" ];
+
+  env = {
+    NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [
+      "-lglib-2.0"
+      "-lpthread"
+      "-ltirpc"
+      "-lnl-3"
+      "-lnl-genl-3"
+    ];
+    NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString [
+      "-I${libtirpc.dev}/include/tirpc"
+    ];
+  };
   postPatch = ''
     for patch in debian/patches/*.patch; do
       patch < $patch
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/he/hebbot/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/he/hebbot/package.nix
index ce1a2b6f57e9..8981a5d90c3a 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/he/hebbot/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/he/hebbot/package.nix
@@ -40,13 +40,12 @@ rustPlatform.buildRustPackage (finalAttrs: {
 
   env = {
     OPENSSL_NO_VENDOR = 1;
+    NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [
+      "-L${lib.getLib openssl}/lib"
+      "-L${lib.getLib sqlite}/lib"
+    ];
   };
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = [
-    "-L${lib.getLib openssl}/lib"
-    "-L${lib.getLib sqlite}/lib"
-  ];
-
   passthru.updateScript = unstableGitUpdater { };
 
   meta = {
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/io/iortcw/sp.nix b/pkgs/by-name/io/iortcw/sp.nix
index 863f61dafdc2..7876192f0660 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/io/iortcw/sp.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/io/iortcw/sp.nix
@@ -47,11 +47,15 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   ];
   nativeBuildInputs = [ makeWrapper ];
 
-  env.NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString [
-    "-I${lib.getInclude SDL2}/include/SDL2"
-    "-I${opusfile.dev}/include/opus"
-  ];
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = [ "-lSDL2" ];
+  env = {
+    NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString [
+      "-I${lib.getInclude SDL2}/include/SDL2"
+      "-I${opusfile.dev}/include/opus"
+    ];
+    NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [
+      "-lSDL2"
+    ];
+  };
 
   postInstall = ''
     for i in `find $out/opt/iortcw -maxdepth 1 -type f -executable`; do
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/li/libsndfile/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/li/libsndfile/package.nix
index 18beb16107b4..9fadf930ba0e 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/li/libsndfile/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/li/libsndfile/package.nix
@@ -78,7 +78,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   '';
 
   # Needed on Darwin.
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-logg -lvorbis";
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [
+    "-logg"
+    "-lvorbis"
+  ];
 
   # Broken with libopus >= 1.6.0
   doCheck = false;
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/op/openspades/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/op/openspades/package.nix
index 4379fbe12e2c..6eebb66c8429 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/op/openspades/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/op/openspades/package.nix
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     cp $notoFont $out/share/games/openspades/Resources/
   '';
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lopenal";
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lopenal";
 
   meta = {
     description = "Compatible client of Ace of Spades 0.75";
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/to/tor/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/to/tor/package.nix
index 2778700d8ad2..034771bef7f8 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/to/tor/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/to/tor/package.nix
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
       # cross compiles correctly but needs the following
       lib.optionals (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform) [ "--disable-tool-name-check" ];
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = lib.optionalString stdenv.cc.isGNU "-lgcc_s";
+  env = lib.optionalAttrs stdenv.cc.isGNU {
+    NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lgcc_s";
+  };
 
   postPatch = ''
     substituteInPlace contrib/client-tools/torify \
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/uf/ufoai/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/uf/ufoai/package.nix
index 751fccaaab98..b245e5c92b77 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/uf/ufoai/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/uf/ufoai/package.nix
@@ -30,12 +30,21 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     sha256 = "1drhh08cqqkwv1yz3z4ngkplr23pqqrdx6cp8c3isy320gy25cvb";
   };
 
-  # Workaround build failure on -fno-common toolchains:
-  #   ld: r_gl.h:52: multiple definition of `qglGenBuffers';
-  #     r_gl.h:52: first defined here
-  # TODO: drop once release contains upstream fix:
-  #   https://github.com/ufoai/ufoai/commit/8a3075fffdad294e
-  env.NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-fcommon";
+  env = {
+    # Workaround build failure on -fno-common toolchains:
+    #   ld: r_gl.h:52: multiple definition of `qglGenBuffers';
+    #     r_gl.h:52: first defined here
+    # TODO: drop once release contains upstream fix:
+    #   https://github.com/ufoai/ufoai/commit/8a3075fffdad294e
+    NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-fcommon";
+    NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [
+      # to avoid occasional runtime error in finding libgcc_s.so.1
+      "-lgcc_s"
+      # tests are underlinked against libm:
+      # ld: release-linux-x86_64/testall/client/sound/s_mix.c.o: undefined reference to symbol 'acos@@GLIBC_2.2.5'
+      "-lm"
+    ];
+  };
 
   preConfigure = ''tar xvf "${finalAttrs.srcData}"'';
 
@@ -60,14 +69,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     cunit
   ];
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = [
-    # to avoid occasional runtime error in finding libgcc_s.so.1
-    "-lgcc_s"
-    # tests are underlinked against libm:
-    # ld: release-linux-x86_64/testall/client/sound/s_mix.c.o: undefined reference to symbol 'acos@@GLIBC_2.2.5'
-    "-lm"
-  ];
-
   meta = {
     homepage = "http://ufoai.org";
     description = "Squad-based tactical strategy game in the tradition of X-Com";
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/xb/xbill/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/xb/xbill/package.nix
index a8c1ba2c4aa2..20185d4007aa 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/xb/xbill/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/xb/xbill/package.nix
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     motif
   ];
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lXpm";
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lXpm";
 
   configureFlags = [
     "--with-x"
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/zd/zdoom/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/zd/zdoom/package.nix
index 44994bececb1..395b59635d4c 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/zd/zdoom/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/zd/zdoom/package.nix
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   sourceRoot = ".";
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = [
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [
     "-lopenal"
     "-lfluidsynth"
   ];
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/ze/zeroad-unwrapped/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/ze/zeroad-unwrapped/package.nix
index 803f4288dfc7..56a64a60e0e5 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/ze/zeroad-unwrapped/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/ze/zeroad-unwrapped/package.nix
@@ -103,18 +103,20 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   ]
   ++ lib.optional withEditor wxGTK32;
 
-  env.NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString [
-    "-I${xorgproto}/include"
-    "-I${libx11.dev}/include"
-    "-I${libxcursor.dev}/include"
-    "-I${SDL2}/include/SDL2"
-    "-I${fmt_9.dev}/include"
-    "-I${nvidia-texture-tools.dev}/include"
-  ];
+  env = {
+    NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString [
+      "-I${xorgproto}/include"
+      "-I${libx11.dev}/include"
+      "-I${libxcursor.dev}/include"
+      "-I${SDL2}/include/SDL2"
+      "-I${fmt_9.dev}/include"
+      "-I${nvidia-texture-tools.dev}/include"
+    ];
 
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [
-    "-L${nvidia-texture-tools.lib}/lib/static"
-  ];
+    NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString [
+      "-L${nvidia-texture-tools.lib}/lib/static"
+    ];
+  };
 
   patches = [
     ./rootdir_env.patch
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/librdf/redland.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/librdf/redland.nix
index 25e5492ef71a..9420a6a203ab 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/librdf/redland.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/librdf/redland.nix
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   ];
 
   # Fix broken DT_NEEDED in lib/redland/librdf_storage_sqlite.so.
-  NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lraptor2";
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = "-lraptor2";
 
   doCheck = false; # fails 1 out of 17 tests with a segmentation fault