diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gdal/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/gdal/default.nix
index fe7d0869fbd0..99b5b8dcea35 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/gdal/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gdal/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 { stdenv, fetchurl, composableDerivation, unzip, libjpeg, libtiff, zlib
-, postgresql, mysql, libgeotiff, python, pythonPackages, proj, geos, openssl
-, libpng }:
+, postgresql, mysql, libgeotiff, proj, geos, openssl
+, libpng
+# disabling python for now
+# , python, pythonPackages
+}:
 
 composableDerivation.composableDerivation {} (fixed: rec {
   version = "1.11.2";
@@ -11,7 +14,9 @@ composableDerivation.composableDerivation {} (fixed: rec {
     sha256 = "66bc8192d24e314a66ed69285186d46e6999beb44fc97eeb9c76d82a117c0845";
   };
 
-  buildInputs = [ unzip libjpeg libtiff libpng python pythonPackages.numpy proj openssl ];
+  buildInputs = [ unzip libjpeg libtiff libpng proj openssl ]
+    # ++ [ python pythonPackages.numpy ]
+  ;
 
   patches = [
     # This ensures that the python package is installed into gdal's prefix,
@@ -32,9 +37,11 @@ composableDerivation.composableDerivation {} (fixed: rec {
     "--with-pg=${postgresql}/bin/pg_config"
     "--with-mysql=${mysql.lib}/bin/mysql_config"
     "--with-geotiff=${libgeotiff}"
-    "--with-python"               # optional
     "--with-static-proj4=${proj}" # optional
     "--with-geos=${geos}/bin/geos-config"# optional
+    # Enabling built-in python bindings causes
+    # http://hydra.nixos.org/build/21344907/nixlog/1/raw - disable for now
+    #"--with-python"               # optional
   ];
 
   # Prevent this: