diff --git a/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix b/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
index bf841bb60e44..fab63a4b059d 100644
--- a/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
+++ b/pkgs/stdenv/adapters.nix
@@ -92,16 +92,22 @@ rec {
             (mkDerivationSuper args).overrideAttrs (
               args:
               (
-                if (args.__structuredAttrs or false) || (args ? env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK) then
+                if (args ? NIX_CFLAGS_LINK) then
+                  lib.warn
+                    (
+                      "NIX_CFLAGS_LINK is an environment variable and should be defined inside `env`"
+                      + lib.optionalString (args ? pname) " for package ${args.pname}"
+                      + lib.optionalString (args ? version) "-${args.version}"
+                    )
+                    {
+                      NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString (args.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK or "") + " -static";
+                    }
+                else
                   {
                     env = (args.env or { }) // {
                       NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString (args.env.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK or "") + " -static";
                     };
                   }
-                else
-                  {
-                    NIX_CFLAGS_LINK = toString (args.NIX_CFLAGS_LINK or "") + " -static";
-                  }
               )
               // lib.optionalAttrs (!(args.dontAddStaticConfigureFlags or false)) {
                 configureFlags = (args.configureFlags or [ ]) ++ [