diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
index f31de55b8135..679a10a517dd 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{stdenv, fetchurl, noSysDirs, zlib, cross ? null, gold ? false, bison, flex2535, bc, dejagnu}:
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, noSysDirs, zlib, cross ? null, gold ? false, bison ? null, flex2535 ? null, bc ? null, dejagnu ? null }:
 
 let
     basename = "binutils-2.21";
@@ -18,10 +18,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ./new-dtags.patch
   ];
 
-  buildInputs = [ zlib ] ++ stdenv.lib.optional gold [dejagnu flex2535 bison
-
-              # Some Gold tests require this:
-              bc] ;
+  buildInputs =
+    [ zlib ]
+    ++ stdenv.lib.optional gold [dejagnu flex2535 bison /* Some Gold tests require this: */ bc];
 
   inherit noSysDirs;
 
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
       + stdenv.lib.optionalString (stdenv.system == "mips64-linux")
         " --enable-fix-loongson2f-nop"
       + stdenv.lib.optionalString (cross != null) " --target=${cross.config}"
-      + stdenv.lib.optionalString gold " --enable-gold" ;
+      + stdenv.lib.optionalString gold " --enable-gold";
 
   meta = {
     description = "GNU Binutils, tools for manipulating binaries (linker, assembler, etc.)";