diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/default.nix
index 1d06ce44a91e..66bb3b7c09ff 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/default.nix
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation {
     ${netrcPhase}
     # required that git uses the netrc file
     mv {,.}netrc
+    export NETRC=$PWD/.netrc
     export HOME=$PWD
   '';
 
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/nix-prefetch-git b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/nix-prefetch-git
index e02b2ea7fbc2..ae3d28cc2319 100755
--- a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/nix-prefetch-git
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/nix-prefetch-git
@@ -425,8 +425,8 @@ fi
 
 tmpHomePath="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/nix-prefetch-git-tmp-home-XXXXXXXXXX")"
 exit_handlers+=(remove_tmpHomePath)
+ln -s "${NETRC:-$HOME/.netrc}" "$tmpHomePath/.netrc"
 HOME="$tmpHomePath"
-ln -s "$NIX_BUILD_TOP/.netrc" "$HOME/"
 unset XDG_CONFIG_HOME
 export GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM=1