diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/000-nixpkgs-cmake-prefix-path.diff b/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/000-nixpkgs-cmake-prefix-path.diff
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4ebdcced055c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/000-nixpkgs-cmake-prefix-path.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+diff --git a/Source/cmFindBase.cxx b/Source/cmFindBase.cxx
+index 8840cdcb..c34b7ee9 100644
+--- a/Source/cmFindBase.cxx
++++ b/Source/cmFindBase.cxx
+@@ -280,6 +280,11 @@ void cmFindBase::FillCMakeEnvironmentPath()
+   // Add CMAKE_*_PATH environment variables
+   std::string var = cmStrCat("CMAKE_", this->CMakePathName, "_PATH");
+   paths.AddEnvPrefixPath("CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH");
++  if (this->CMakePathName != "PROGRAM") {
++    // Like CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH except when searching for programs. Programs need
++    // to be located via PATH
++    paths.AddEnvPrefixPath("NIXPKGS_CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH");
++  }
+   paths.AddEnvPath(var);
+ 
+   if (this->CMakePathName == "PROGRAM") {
+diff --git a/Source/cmFindPackageCommand.cxx b/Source/cmFindPackageCommand.cxx
+index 9b51b1ad..6acc676c 100644
+--- a/Source/cmFindPackageCommand.cxx
++++ b/Source/cmFindPackageCommand.cxx
+@@ -2039,6 +2039,7 @@ void cmFindPackageCommand::FillPrefixesCMakeEnvironment()
+ 
+   // And now the general CMake environment variables
+   paths.AddEnvPath("CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH");
++  paths.AddEnvPath("NIXPKGS_CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH");
+   if (this->DebugMode) {
+     debugBuffer = cmStrCat(debugBuffer,
+                            "CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH env variable "
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/package.nix
index c03c1055f724..ca0f1789a110 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/package.nix
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   };
 
   patches = [
+    # Add NIXPKGS_CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH to cmake which is like CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
+    # except it is not searched for programs
+    ./000-nixpkgs-cmake-prefix-path.diff
     # Don't search in non-Nix locations such as /usr, but do search in our libc.
     ./001-search-path.diff
     # Don't depend on frameworks.
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/setup-hook.sh b/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/setup-hook.sh
index 1a8c9b0f1673..9ca4a6abeebc 100755
--- a/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/setup-hook.sh
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/cm/cmake/setup-hook.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 addCMakeParams() {
-    addToSearchPath CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH $1
+    # NIXPKGS_CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH is like CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH except cmake
+    # will not search it for programs
+    addToSearchPath NIXPKGS_CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH $1
 }
 
 fixCmakeFiles() {