diff --git a/nix/wire-server.nix b/nix/wire-server.nix
index 97926ffb53..76d3f1b26c 100644
--- a/nix/wire-server.nix
+++ b/nix/wire-server.nix
@@ -474,8 +474,8 @@ let
     # This gets sourced by direnv. Set NIX_PATH, so `nix-shell` uses the same nixpkgs as here.
     text = ''
       export NIX_PATH=nixpkgs=${toString pkgs.path}
-      export LOCALE_ARCHIVE=${pkgs.glibcLocales}/lib/locale/locale-archive
-    '';
+      ${lib.optionalString pkgs.stdenv.isLinux "export LOCALE_ARCHIVE=${pkgs.glibcLocales}/lib/locale/locale-archive"}
+    ''  ;
   };
 
   allImages = pkgs.linkFarm "all-images" (images localModsEnableAll);