diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/icu/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/icu/default.nix
index 7b0d295a98ea..bf595108baaf 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/icu/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/icu/default.nix
@@ -2,64 +2,53 @@
 
 let
   make-icu = (import ./make-icu.nix) {
-    inherit stdenv lib fetchurl fixDarwinDylibNames testers;
+    inherit stdenv lib buildPackages fetchurl fixDarwinDylibNames testers;
   };
 in
 {
   icu74 = make-icu {
     version = "74.2";
     hash = "sha256-aNsIIhKpbW9T411g9H04uWLp+dIHp0z6x4Apro/14Iw=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu74.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu73 = make-icu {
     version = "73.2";
     hash = "sha256-gYqAcS7TyqzZtlIwXgGvx/oWfm8ulJltpEuQwqtgTOE=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu73.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu72 = make-icu {
     version = "72.1";
     hash = "sha256-otLTghcJKn7VZjXjRGf5L5drNw4gGCrTJe3qZoGnHWg=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu72.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu71 = make-icu {
     version = "71.1";
     hash = "sha256-Z6fm5R9h+vEwa2k1Mz4TssSKvY2m0vRs5q3KJLHiHr8=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu71.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu70 = make-icu {
     version = "70.1";
     hash = "sha256-jSBUKMF78Tu1NTAGae0oszihV7HAGuZtMdDT4tR8P9U=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu70.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu69 = make-icu {
     version = "69.1";
     hash = "sha256-TLp7es0dPELES7DBS+ZjcJjH+vKzMM6Ha8XzuRXQl0U=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu69.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu68 = make-icu {
     version = "68.2";
     hash = "sha256-x5GT3uOQeiGZuClqk7UsXLdDMsJvPRZyaUh2gNR51iU=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu68.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu67 = make-icu {
     version = "67.1";
     hash = "sha256-lKgM1vJRpTvSqZf28bWsZlP+eR36tm4esCJ3QPuG1dw=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu67.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu66 = make-icu {
     version = "66.1";
     hash = "sha256-UqPyIJq5VVnBzwoU8kM4AB84lhW/AOJYXvPbxD7PCi4=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu66.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu64 = make-icu {
     version = "64.2";
     hash = "sha256-Yn1dhHjm2W/IyQ/tSFEjkHmlYaaoueSLCJLyToLTHWw=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu64.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu63 = make-icu {
     version = "63.1";
     hash = "sha256-BcSQtpRU/OWGC36OKCEjFnSvChHX7y/r6poyUSmYy50=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu63.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
     patches = [
       # https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1499398
       (fetchpatch {
@@ -72,12 +61,10 @@ in
   icu60 = make-icu {
     version = "60.2";
     hash = "sha256-8HPqjzW5JtcLsz5ld1CKpkKosxaoA/Eb4grzhIEdtBg=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu60.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
   };
   icu58 = make-icu {
     version = "58.2";
     hash = "sha256-KwpEEBU6myDeDiDH2LZgSacq7yRLU2g9DXUhNxaD2gw=";
-    nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages.icu58.override { buildRootOnly = true; };
     patches = [
       (fetchurl {
         url = "http://bugs.icu-project.org/trac/changeset/39484?format=diff";
@@ -87,4 +74,4 @@ in
     ];
     patchFlags = [ "-p4" ];
   };
- }
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/icu/make-icu.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/icu/make-icu.nix
index 5bae46714f2a..836a7e3c73a6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/icu/make-icu.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/icu/make-icu.nix
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-{ stdenv, lib, fetchurl, fixDarwinDylibNames, testers }:
+{ stdenv, lib, buildPackages, fetchurl, fixDarwinDylibNames, testers }:
 
-{ version, hash, patches ? [], patchFlags ? []
-# Cross-compiled icu4c requires a build-root of a native compile
-, buildRootOnly ? false, nativeBuildRoot
-}:
+{ version, hash, patches ? [], patchFlags ? [] }:
 
 let
+  # Cross-compiled icu4c requires a build-root of a native compile
+  nativeBuildRoot = buildPackages."icu${lib.versions.major version}".buildRootOnly;
+
   pname = "icu4c";
 
   baseAttrs = {
@@ -99,10 +99,9 @@ let
     '';
   };
 
-  attrs = if buildRootOnly
-            then buildRootOnlyAttrs
-          else realAttrs;
+  mkWithAttrs = attrs: stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: attrs // {
+    passthru.tests.pkg-config = testers.testMetaPkgConfig finalAttrs.finalPackage;
+    passthru.buildRootOnly = mkWithAttrs buildRootOnlyAttrs;
+  });
 in
-stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: attrs // {
-  passthru.tests.pkg-config = testers.testMetaPkgConfig finalAttrs.finalPackage;
-})
+  mkWithAttrs realAttrs