diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/setup.sh b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/setup.sh
index de1dad5a1697..40905c8dfd07 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/generic/setup.sh
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/generic/setup.sh
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ if [ -n "$__structuredAttrs" ]; then
         # ex: out=/nix/store/...
         export "$outputName=${outputs[$outputName]}"
     done
+    # $NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE points to the wrong location in sandbox
+    # https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/6736
+    export NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE="$NIX_BUILD_TOP/.attrs.json"
+    export NIX_ATTRS_SH_FILE="$NIX_BUILD_TOP/.attrs.sh"
 else
     : ${outputs:=out}
 fi