diff --git a/pkgs/development/lisp-modules/clwrapper/cl-wrapper.sh b/pkgs/development/lisp-modules/clwrapper/cl-wrapper.sh
index 5bf375a4eff5..90fa48814a2e 100755
--- a/pkgs/development/lisp-modules/clwrapper/cl-wrapper.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/lisp-modules/clwrapper/cl-wrapper.sh
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ NIX_LISP_ASDF_REGISTRY_CODE="
 NIX_LISP_ASDF="${NIX_LISP_ASDF:-@asdf@}"
 
 [ -z "$NIX_LISP_SKIP_CODE" ] && "$NIX_LISP_COMMAND" $NIX_LISP_EARLY_OPTIONS \
-	$NIX_LISP_EXEC_CODE "(load \"$NIX_LISP_ASDF/lib/common-lisp/asdf/build/asdf.lisp\")" \
+	$NIX_LISP_EXEC_CODE "${NIX_LISP_ASDF_LOAD:-"(load \"$NIX_LISP_ASDF/lib/common-lisp/asdf/build/asdf.lisp\")"}" \
 	$NIX_LISP_EXEC_CODE "$NIX_LISP_ASDF_REGISTRY_CODE" \
 	$NIX_LISP_FINAL_PARAMETERS \
 	"$@"