diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/psycopg/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/psycopg/default.nix
index 51a0bdca487a..c9825a6528e5 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/psycopg/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/psycopg/default.nix
@@ -121,10 +121,13 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
 
   disabled = pythonOlder "3.7";
 
-  outputs = [
-    "out"
-    "doc"
-  ];
+  outputs =
+    [
+      "out"
+    ]
+    ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform) [
+      "doc"
+    ];
 
   sphinxRoot = "../docs";
 
@@ -141,13 +144,18 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     cd psycopg
   '';
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [
-    furo
-    setuptools
-    shapely
-    sphinx-autodoc-typehints
-    sphinxHook
-  ];
+  nativeBuildInputs =
+    [
+      furo
+      setuptools
+      shapely
+    ]
+    # building the docs fails with the following error when cross compiling
+    #  AttributeError: module 'psycopg_c.pq' has no attribute '__impl__'
+    ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform) [
+      sphinx-autodoc-typehints
+      sphinxHook
+    ];
 
   propagatedBuildInputs = [
     psycopg-c
@@ -173,7 +181,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
       pytestCheckHook
       postgresql
     ]
-    ++ lib.optional (stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux) postgresqlTestHook
+    ++ lib.optional stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux postgresqlTestHook
     ++ optional-dependencies.c
     ++ optional-dependencies.pool;
 
@@ -187,7 +195,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     ''
       cd ..
     ''
-    + lib.optionalString (stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux) ''
+    + lib.optionalString stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux ''
       export PSYCOPG_TEST_DSN="host=/build/run/postgresql user=$PGUSER"
     '';
 
@@ -219,7 +227,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   ];
 
   postCheck = ''
-    cd ${pname}
+    cd psycopg
   '';
 
   passthru = {