diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/hooks/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/hooks/default.nix
index ba51c43822d4..6a05a7fa6ee8 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/hooks/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/hooks/default.nix
@@ -227,6 +227,9 @@ in {
   sphinxHook = callPackage ({ makePythonHook, installShellFiles }:
     makePythonHook {
       name = "python${python.pythonVersion}-sphinx-hook";
-      propagatedBuildInputs = [ pythonForBuild.pkgs.sphinx installShellFiles ];
+      propagatedBuildInputs = [ installShellFiles ];
+      substitutions = {
+        sphinxBuild = "${pythonForBuild.pkgs.sphinx}/bin/sphinx-build";
+      };
     } ./sphinx-hook.sh) {};
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/hooks/sphinx-hook.sh b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/hooks/sphinx-hook.sh
index ca67fa9beabf..0307e83d9479 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/hooks/sphinx-hook.sh
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/python/hooks/sphinx-hook.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ buildSphinxPhase() {
 
     for __builder in "${__sphinxBuilders[@]}"; do
         echo "Executing sphinx-build with ${__builder} builder"
-        sphinx-build -M "${__builder}" "${__sphinxRoot}" ".sphinx/${__builder}" -v
+        @sphinxBuild@ -M "${__builder}" "${__sphinxRoot}" ".sphinx/${__builder}" -v
     done
 
     runHook postBuildSphinx