diff --git a/pkgs/applications/science/biology/svaba/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/science/biology/svaba/default.nix
index fa78212ec0b1..b1a174aaf882 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/science/biology/svaba/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/science/biology/svaba/default.nix
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   buildInputs = [ zlib bzip2 xz ];
 
+  # Workaround build failure on -fno-common toolchains like upstream
+  # gcc-10. Otherwise build fails as:
+  #   ld: ./libfml.a(rle.o):/build/source/SeqLib/fermi-lite/rle.h:33: multiple definition of
+  #     `rle_auxtab'; ./libfml.a(misc.o):/build/source/SeqLib/fermi-lite/rle.h:33: first defined here
+  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-fcommon";
+
   installPhase = ''
     runHook preInstall
     install -Dm555 src/svaba/svaba $out/bin/svaba