diff --git a/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/build-tex-env.nix b/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/build-tex-env.nix
index 59b520e50c3b..148e51f55de5 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/build-tex-env.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/build-tex-env.nix
@@ -308,6 +308,9 @@ buildEnv' {
   postBuild = ''
     . "${./build-tex-env.sh}"
   '';
+
+  allowSubstitutes = true;
+  preferLocalBuild = false;
 };
   # outputsToInstall must be set *after* overrideAttrs (used in buildEnv') or it fails the checkMeta tests
 in if __combine || __formatsOf != null then out else lib.addMetaAttrs { inherit (pkgList) outputsToInstall; } out)