diff --git a/pkgs/applications/science/math/polymake/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/science/math/polymake/default.nix
index 18d6912a2b8a..2e79ca03635a 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/science/math/polymake/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/science/math/polymake/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 { lib
 , stdenv
 , fetchurl
-, perl
 , gmp
 , mpfr
 , flint
@@ -15,10 +14,14 @@
 , ninja
 , ant
 , openjdk
-, perlPackages
+, perl536Packages
 , makeWrapper
 }:
-
+let
+  # log says: polymake does not work with perl 5.37 or newer;
+  perlPackages = perl536Packages;
+  inherit (perlPackages) perl;
+in
 # polymake compiles its own version of sympol and atint because we
 # don't have those packages. other missing optional dependencies:
 # javaview, libnormaliz, scip, soplex, jreality.