diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libxml2/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/libxml2/default.nix
index b28f241d56ee..aa78d0d33c08 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/libxml2/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libxml2/default.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 { stdenv, lib, fetchurl
-, zlib, xz, python2, findXMLCatalogs, libiconv
+, zlib, xz, python2, findXMLCatalogs
 , buildPlatform, hostPlatform
 , pythonSupport ? buildPlatform == hostPlatform
 , icuSupport ? false, icu ? null
-, enableStatic ? false
+, enableShared ? hostPlatform.libc != "msvcrt"
+, enableStatic ? !enableShared,
 }:
 
 let
@@ -35,22 +36,14 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
        lib.optional pythonSupport "--with-python=${python}"
     ++ lib.optional icuSupport    "--with-icu"
     ++ [ "--exec_prefix=$dev" ]
-    ++ lib.optional enableStatic "--enable-static";
+    ++ lib.optional enableStatic "--enable-static"
+    ++ lib.optional (!enableShared) "--disable-shared";
 
   enableParallelBuilding = true;
 
   doCheck = (stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform) && !stdenv.isDarwin &&
     hostPlatform.libc != "musl";
 
-  crossAttrs = lib.optionalAttrs (hostPlatform.libc == "msvcrt") {
-    # creating the DLL is broken ATM
-    dontDisableStatic = true;
-    configureFlags = configureFlags ++ [ "--disable-shared" ];
-
-    # libiconv is a header dependency - propagating is enough
-    propagatedBuildInputs =  [ findXMLCatalogs libiconv ];
-  };
-
   preInstall = lib.optionalString pythonSupport
     ''substituteInPlace python/libxml2mod.la --replace "${python}" "$py"'';
   installFlags = lib.optionalString pythonSupport
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/newt/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/newt/default.nix
index cd1e51bd19c1..a10f52462a8e 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/newt/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/newt/default.nix
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     unset CPP
   '';
 
-  crossAttrs = {
-    makeFlags = "CROSS_COMPILE=${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}";
-  };
+  # Use `lib.optionalString` next mass rebuild.
+  makeFlags = if stdenv.buildPlatform == stdenv.hostPlatform
+              then null
+              else "CROSS_COMPILE=${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}";
 
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
     homepage = https://fedorahosted.org/newt/;
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kmod/default.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kmod/default.nix
index f9be82255704..142c176a15fa 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kmod/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kmod/default.nix
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [ autoreconfHook pkgconfig libxslt ];
   buildInputs = [ xz ];
-  # HACK until BUG issue #21191 is addressed
-  crossAttrs.preUnpack = ''PATH="${buildPackages.xz}/bin''${PATH:+:}$PATH"'';
 
   configureFlags = [
     "--sysconfdir=/etc"
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/archivers/sharutils/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/archivers/sharutils/default.nix
index 022814689428..907ac58d15fe 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/archivers/sharutils/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/archivers/sharutils/default.nix
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   doCheck = true;
 
-  crossAttrs = {
-    patches = [ ./sharutils-4.11.1-cross-binary-mode-popen.patch ];
-  };
-
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
     description = "Tools for remote synchronization and `shell archives'";
     longDescription =
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/archivers/sharutils/sharutils-4.11.1-cross-binary-mode-popen.patch b/pkgs/tools/archivers/sharutils/sharutils-4.11.1-cross-binary-mode-popen.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index f05eab251d4c..000000000000
--- a/pkgs/tools/archivers/sharutils/sharutils-4.11.1-cross-binary-mode-popen.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,63 +0,0 @@
-diff -Naur sharutils-4.11.1.orig/configure sharutils-4.11.1/configure
---- sharutils-4.11.1.orig/configure	2011-06-20 11:07:40.000000000 -0400
-+++ sharutils-4.11.1/configure	2011-06-20 11:09:30.000000000 -0400
-@@ -26962,33 +26962,33 @@
-   CATALOGS="$new_CATALOGS"
- fi
- 
--if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then :
--  { { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&5
--$as_echo "$as_me: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&2;}
--as_fn_error $? "cannot run test program while cross compiling
--See \`config.log' for more details" "$LINENO" 5; }
--else
--  cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
--/* end confdefs.h.  */
--
--int
--main ()
--{
--    FILE * fp = popen ("date", "rb");
--    exit (fp == NULL);
--  ;
--  return 0;
--}
--_ACEOF
--if ac_fn_c_try_run "$LINENO"; then :
--
-+#if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then :
-+#  { { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&5
-+#$as_echo "$as_me: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&2;}
-+#as_fn_error $? "cannot run test program while cross compiling
-+#See \`config.log' for more details" "$LINENO" 5; }
-+#else
-+#  cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-+#/* end confdefs.h.  */
-+#
-+#int
-+#main ()
-+#{
-+#    FILE * fp = popen ("date", "rb");
-+#    exit (fp == NULL);
-+#  ;
-+#  return 0;
-+#}
-+#_ACEOF
-+#if ac_fn_c_try_run "$LINENO"; then :
-+#
- $as_echo "#define BINARY_MODE_POPEN 1" >>confdefs.h
--
--
--fi
--rm -f core *.core core.conftest.* gmon.out bb.out conftest$ac_exeext \
--  conftest.$ac_objext conftest.beam conftest.$ac_ext
--fi
-+#
-+#
-+#fi
-+#rm -f core *.core core.conftest.* gmon.out bb.out conftest$ac_exeext \
-+#  conftest.$ac_objext conftest.beam conftest.$ac_ext
-+#fi
- 
- 
- 
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/networking/curl/7_59.nix b/pkgs/tools/networking/curl/7_59.nix
index 5980392267b0..71a87a8e9d15 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/networking/curl/7_59.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/networking/curl/7_59.nix
@@ -74,7 +74,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
       ( if brotliSupport then "--with-brotli" else "--without-brotli" )
     ]
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional c-aresSupport "--enable-ares=${c-ares}"
-    ++ stdenv.lib.optional gssSupport "--with-gssapi=${kerberos.dev}";
+    ++ stdenv.lib.optional gssSupport "--with-gssapi=${kerberos.dev}"
+       # For the 'urandom', maybe it should be a cross-system option
+    ++ stdenv.lib.optional (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform)
+       "--with-random=/dev/urandom";
 
   CXX = "${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}c++";
   CXXCPP = "${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}c++ -E";
@@ -90,16 +93,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ln $out/lib/libcurl.so $out/lib/libcurl-gnutls.so.4.4.0
   '';
 
-  crossAttrs = {
-    # We should refer to the cross built openssl
-    # For the 'urandom', maybe it should be a cross-system option
-    configureFlags = [
-        ( if sslSupport then "--with-ssl=${openssl.crossDrv}" else "--without-ssl" )
-        ( if gnutlsSupport then "--with-gnutls=${gnutls.crossDrv}" else "--without-gnutls" )
-        "--with-random /dev/urandom"
-      ];
-  };
-
   passthru = {
     inherit sslSupport openssl;
   };
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/networking/curl/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/networking/curl/default.nix
index 06798bdcc281..d15e6084a8b9 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/networking/curl/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/networking/curl/default.nix
@@ -78,7 +78,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
       ( if brotliSupport then "--with-brotli" else "--without-brotli" )
     ]
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional c-aresSupport "--enable-ares=${c-ares}"
-    ++ stdenv.lib.optional gssSupport "--with-gssapi=${kerberos.dev}";
+    ++ stdenv.lib.optional gssSupport "--with-gssapi=${kerberos.dev}"
+       # For the 'urandom', maybe it should be a cross-system option
+    ++ stdenv.lib.optional (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform)
+       "--with-random=/dev/urandom";
 
   CXX = "${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}c++";
   CXXCPP = "${stdenv.cc.targetPrefix}c++ -E";
@@ -94,16 +97,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ln $out/lib/libcurl.so $out/lib/libcurl-gnutls.so.4.4.0
   '';
 
-  crossAttrs = {
-    # We should refer to the cross built openssl
-    # For the 'urandom', maybe it should be a cross-system option
-    configureFlags = [
-        ( if sslSupport then "--with-ssl=${openssl.crossDrv}" else "--without-ssl" )
-        ( if gnutlsSupport then "--with-gnutls=${gnutls.crossDrv}" else "--without-gnutls" )
-        "--with-random=/dev/urandom"
-      ];
-  };
-
   passthru = {
     inherit sslSupport openssl;
   };