diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 5c00f7ce8501..fe6d1e576c65 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -5821,18 +5821,23 @@ with pkgs;
   # example of an error which this fixes
   # [Errno 8] Exec format error: './gdk3-scan'
   mesonEmulatorHook =
-    if (!stdenv.buildPlatform.canExecute stdenv.targetPlatform) then
-      makeSetupHook
-        {
-          name = "mesonEmulatorHook";
-          substitutions = {
-            crossFile = writeText "cross-file.conf" ''
+    makeSetupHook
+      {
+        name = "mesonEmulatorHook";
+        substitutions = {
+          crossFile = writeText "cross-file.conf" ''
               [binaries]
-              exe_wrapper = ${lib.escapeShellArg (stdenv.targetPlatform.emulator buildPackages)}
+              exe_wrapper = ${lib.escapeShellArg (stdenv.targetPlatform.emulator pkgs)}
             '';
-          };
-        } ../development/tools/build-managers/meson/emulator-hook.sh
-    else throw "mesonEmulatorHook has to be in a conditional to check if the target binaries can be executed i.e. (!stdenv.buildPlatform.canExecute stdenv.hostPlatform)";
+        };
+      }
+      # The throw is moved into the `makeSetupHook` derivation, so that its
+      # outer level, but not its outPath can still be evaluated if the condition
+      # doesn't hold. This ensures that splicing still can work correctly.
+      (if (!stdenv.hostPlatform.canExecute stdenv.targetPlatform) then
+        ../development/tools/build-managers/meson/emulator-hook.sh
+       else
+         throw "mesonEmulatorHook may only be added to nativeBuildInputs when the target binaries can't be executed; however you are attempting to use it in a situation where ${stdenv.hostPlatform.config} can execute ${stdenv.targetPlatform.config}. Consider only adding mesonEmulatorHook according to a conditional based canExecute in your package expression.");
 
   meson-tools = callPackage ../misc/meson-tools { };