diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/mmixware/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/mmixware/default.nix
index 4f0515eec2f5..2b14bf09ddbd 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/mmixware/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/mmixware/default.nix
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     substituteInPlace Makefile --replace 'rm abstime.h' ""
   '';
 
+  # Workaround build failure on -fno-common toolchains:
+  #   ld: mmix-config.o:(.bss+0x600): multiple definition of `buffer'; /build/ccDuGrwH.o:(.bss+0x20): first defined here
+  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-fcommon";
+
   nativeBuildInputs = [ tetex ];
   enableParallelBuilding = true;