diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/default.nix
index 3c553f181f0d..7bb96b470687 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/bintools-wrapper/default.nix
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 { name ? ""
 , lib
 , stdenvNoCC
-, bintools ? null, libc ? null, coreutils ? null, shell ? stdenvNoCC.shell, gnugrep ? null
+, runtimeShell
+, bintools ? null, libc ? null, coreutils ? null, gnugrep ? null
 , netbsd ? null, netbsdCross ? null
 , sharedLibraryLoader ?
   if libc == null then
@@ -419,7 +420,8 @@ stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation {
   env = {
     # for substitution in utils.bash
     expandResponseParams = "${expand-response-params}/bin/expand-response-params";
-    shell = getBin shell + shell.shellPath or "";
+    # TODO(@sternenseemann): rename env var via stdenv rebuild
+    shell = (getBin runtimeShell + runtimeShell.shellPath or "");
     gnugrep_bin = optionalString (!nativeTools) gnugrep;
     wrapperName = "BINTOOLS_WRAPPER";
     inherit dynamicLinker targetPrefix suffixSalt coreutils_bin;
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/default.nix
index 11ae9868ce01..17aac3170971 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/cc-wrapper/default.nix
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 { name ? ""
 , lib
 , stdenvNoCC
-, cc ? null, libc ? null, bintools, coreutils ? null, shell ? stdenvNoCC.shell
+, runtimeShell
+, cc ? null, libc ? null, bintools, coreutils ? null
 , zlib ? null
 , nativeTools, noLibc ? false, nativeLibc, nativePrefix ? ""
 , propagateDoc ? cc != null && cc ? man
@@ -739,7 +740,8 @@ stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation {
 
     # for substitution in utils.bash
     expandResponseParams = "${expand-response-params}/bin/expand-response-params";
-    shell = getBin shell + shell.shellPath or "";
+    # TODO(@sternenseemann): rename env var via stdenv rebuild
+    shell = getBin runtimeShell + runtimeShell.shellPath or "";
     gnugrep_bin = optionalString (!nativeTools) gnugrep;
     # stdenv.cc.cc should not be null and we have nothing better for now.
     # if the native impure bootstrap is gotten rid of this can become `inherit cc;` again.
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
index b1094630dd46..ef5314d92d77 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/darwin/default.nix
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ let
         inherit (prevStage) coreutils gnugrep;
 
         stdenvNoCC = prevStage.ccWrapperStdenv;
+        runtimeShell = prevStage.ccWrapperStdenv.shell;
       };
 
       bash = prevStage.bash or bootstrapTools;
@@ -258,6 +259,7 @@ in
 
           inherit lib;
           inherit (self) stdenvNoCC coreutils gnugrep;
+          runtimeShell = self.stdenvNoCC.shell;
 
           bintools = selfDarwin.binutils-unwrapped;
 
@@ -457,6 +459,8 @@ in
 
           bintools = selfDarwin.binutils-unwrapped;
           libc = selfDarwin.Libsystem;
+          # TODO(@sternenseemann): can this be removed?
+          runtimeShell = "${bootstrapTools}/bin/bash";
         };
 
         binutils-unwrapped = superDarwin.binutils-unwrapped.override {
@@ -1044,8 +1048,6 @@ in
         };
 
         binutils = superDarwin.binutils.override {
-          shell = self.bash + "/bin/bash";
-
           buildPackages = {
             inherit (prevStage) stdenv;
           };
@@ -1124,9 +1126,7 @@ in
               inherit (self.llvmPackages) libcxx;
 
               inherit lib;
-              inherit (self) stdenvNoCC coreutils gnugrep;
-
-              shell = self.bash + "/bin/bash";
+              inherit (self) stdenvNoCC coreutils gnugrep runtimeShell;
             };
           });
           libraries = super.llvmPackages.libraries.extend (_: _:{
diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
index 0e1852805cfd..4f2e3b3cb0bc 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/linux/default.nix
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ let
           inherit (prevStage) coreutils gnugrep;
           stdenvNoCC = prevStage.ccWrapperStdenv;
           fortify-headers = prevStage.fortify-headers;
+          runtimeShell = prevStage.ccWrapperStdenv.shell;
         }).overrideAttrs(a: lib.optionalAttrs (prevStage.gcc-unwrapped.passthru.isXgcc or false) {
           # This affects only `xgcc` (the compiler which compiles the final compiler).
           postFixup = (a.postFixup or "") + ''
@@ -265,6 +266,7 @@ in
         inherit lib;
         inherit (self) stdenvNoCC coreutils gnugrep;
         bintools = bootstrapTools;
+        runtimeShell = "${bootstrapTools}/bin/bash";
       };
       coreutils = bootstrapTools;
       gnugrep = bootstrapTools;
@@ -332,6 +334,14 @@ in
         inherit (prevStage) ccWrapperStdenv coreutils gnugrep gettext bison texinfo zlib gnum4 perl patchelf;
         ${localSystem.libc} = getLibc prevStage;
         gmp = super.gmp.override { cxx = false; };
+        # This stage also rebuilds binutils which will of course be used only in the next stage.
+        # We inherit this until stage3, in stage4 it will be rebuilt using the adjacent bash/runtimeShell pkg.
+        # TODO(@sternenseemann): Can we already build the wrapper with the actual runtimeShell here?
+        # Historically, the wrapper didn't use runtimeShell, so the used shell had to be changed explicitly
+        # (or stdenvNoCC.shell would be used) which happened in stage4.
+        binutils = super.binutils.override {
+          runtimeShell = "${bootstrapTools}/bin/bash";
+        };
         gcc-unwrapped =
           (super.gcc-unwrapped.override (commonGccOverrides // {
             # The most logical name for this package would be something like
@@ -544,9 +554,8 @@ in
       # other purposes (binutils and top-level pkgs) too.
       inherit (prevStage) gettext gnum4 bison perl texinfo zlib linuxHeaders libidn2 libunistring;
       ${localSystem.libc} = getLibc prevStage;
+      # Since this is the first fresh build of binutils since stage2, our own runtimeShell will be used.
       binutils = super.binutils.override {
-        # Don't use stdenv's shell but our own
-        shell = self.bash + "/bin/bash";
         # Build expand-response-params with last stage like below
         buildPackages = {
           inherit (prevStage) stdenv;
@@ -568,8 +577,7 @@ in
         bintools = self.binutils;
         libc = getLibc self;
         inherit lib;
-        inherit (self) stdenvNoCC coreutils gnugrep;
-        shell = self.bash + "/bin/bash";
+        inherit (self) stdenvNoCC coreutils gnugrep runtimeShell;
         fortify-headers = self.fortify-headers;
       };
     };