diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
index 890ff7b64a91..3ca9e539ddd8 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/binutils/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 { stdenv, buildPackages
 , fetchurl, zlib, autoreconfHook264
-, hostPlatform, targetPlatform
+, hostPlatform, buildPlatform, targetPlatform
 , noSysDirs, gold ? true, bison ? null
 }:
 
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   doCheck = false; # fails
 
+  # else fails with "./sanity.sh: line 36: $out/bin/size: not found"
+  doInstallCheck = buildPlatform == hostPlatform && hostPlatform == targetPlatform;
+
   enableParallelBuilding = true;
 
   passthru = {