diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix
index 081cfcaa8b60..5981de673242 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/generic.nix
@@ -140,8 +140,7 @@ let
     passAsFile = [ "kernelConfig" ];
 
     depsBuildBuild = [ buildPackages.stdenv.cc ];
-    nativeBuildInputs = [ perl gmp libmpc mpfr ]
-      ++ lib.optionals (lib.versionAtLeast version "4.16") [ bison flex ]
+    nativeBuildInputs = [ perl gmp libmpc mpfr bison flex ]
       ++ lib.optional (lib.versionAtLeast version "5.2") pahole
       ++ lib.optionals withRust [ rust-bindgen rustc ]
     ;
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/manual-config.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/manual-config.nix
index 3060ff9ef775..323b77e85140 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/manual-config.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/manual-config.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 { lib, stdenv, buildPackages, runCommand, nettools, bc, bison, flex, perl, rsync, gmp, libmpc, mpfr, openssl
-, libelf, cpio, elfutils, zstd, python3Minimal, zlib, pahole, kmod, ubootTools
+, cpio, elfutils, zstd, python3Minimal, zlib, pahole, kmod, ubootTools
 , fetchpatch
 , rustc, rust-bindgen, rustPlatform
 }:
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ let
       moduleBuildDependencies = [
         pahole
         perl
-        libelf
+        elfutils
         # module makefiles often run uname commands to find out the kernel version
         (buildPackages.deterministic-uname.override { inherit modDirVersion; })
       ]
@@ -142,13 +142,24 @@ let
       inherit src;
 
       depsBuildBuild = [ buildPackages.stdenv.cc ];
-      nativeBuildInputs = [ perl bc nettools openssl rsync gmp libmpc mpfr zstd python3Minimal kmod ]
-                          ++ optional  needsUbootTools ubootTools
-                          ++ optional  (lib.versionOlder version "5.8") libelf
-                          ++ optionals (lib.versionAtLeast version "4.16") [ bison flex ]
-                          ++ optionals (lib.versionAtLeast version "5.2")  [ cpio pahole zlib ]
-                          ++ optional  (lib.versionAtLeast version "5.8")  elfutils
-                          ++ optionals withRust [ rustc rust-bindgen ];
+      nativeBuildInputs = [
+        bison
+        flex
+        perl
+        bc
+        nettools
+        openssl
+        rsync
+        gmp
+        libmpc
+        mpfr
+        elfutils
+        zstd
+        python3Minimal
+        kmod
+      ] ++ optional  needsUbootTools ubootTools
+        ++ optionals (lib.versionAtLeast version "5.2")  [ cpio pahole zlib ]
+        ++ optionals withRust [ rustc rust-bindgen ];
 
       RUST_LIB_SRC = lib.optionalString withRust rustPlatform.rustLibSrc;
 
@@ -400,9 +411,6 @@ let
     };
 in
 
-assert lib.versionOlder version "5.8" -> libelf != null;
-assert lib.versionAtLeast version "5.8" -> elfutils != null;
-
 stdenv.mkDerivation ((drvAttrs config stdenv.hostPlatform.linux-kernel kernelPatches configfile) // {
   inherit pname version;