diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/mesos/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/mesos/default.nix
index bc6367a80551..6d6040aba8ba 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/mesos/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/mesos/default.nix
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--enable-ssl"
     "--with-ssl=${openssl}"
     "--enable-libevent"
-    "--with-libevent=${libevent}"
+    "--with-libevent=${libevent.dev}"
   ] ++ lib.optionals stdenv.isLinux [
     "--with-network-isolator"
   ];
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/coprthr/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/coprthr/default.nix
index 40be21131d20..5630daa0d933 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/coprthr/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/coprthr/default.nix
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   configureFlags =
     [ "--with-libelf=${libelf}"
-      "--with-libevent=${libevent}"
+      "--with-libevent=${libevent.dev}"
       "--with-libconfig=${libconfig}"
       "--with-opencl-icd-path=$out/etc/OpenCL/vendors"
       "--enable-user-install"
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/mail/opensmtpd/extras.nix b/pkgs/servers/mail/opensmtpd/extras.nix
index 0123d19bf3fa..cf93b11ba9aa 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/mail/opensmtpd/extras.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/mail/opensmtpd/extras.nix
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--sysconfdir=/etc"
     "--localstatedir=/var"
     "--with-privsep-user=smtpd"
-    "--with-libevent-dir=${libevent}"
+    "--with-libevent-dir=${libevent.dev}"
 
     "--with-filter-clamav"
     "--with-filter-dkim-signer"