diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.10.6.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.10.6.nix
index 859c23a796b7..748116afb105 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.10.6.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.10.6.nix
@@ -281,6 +281,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (rec {
     # * https://gitlab.haskell.org/ghc/ghc/-/issues/19580
     ++ lib.optional stdenv.targetPlatform.isMusl "pie";
 
+  # big-parallel allows us to build with more than 2 cores on
+  # Hydra which already warrants a significant speedup
+  requiredSystemFeatures = [ "big-parallel" ];
+
   postInstall = ''
     # Install the bash completion file.
     install -D -m 444 utils/completion/ghc.bash $out/share/bash-completion/completions/${targetPrefix}ghc
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.8.4.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.8.4.nix
index 66862fca7318..bb47b1daee47 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.8.4.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/8.8.4.nix
@@ -291,6 +291,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (rec {
     # * https://gitlab.haskell.org/ghc/ghc/-/issues/19580
     ++ lib.optional stdenv.targetPlatform.isMusl "pie";
 
+  # big-parallel allows us to build with more than 2 cores on
+  # Hydra which already warrants a significant speedup
+  requiredSystemFeatures = [ "big-parallel" ];
+
   postInstall = ''
     # Install the bash completion file.
     install -D -m 444 utils/completion/ghc.bash $out/share/bash-completion/completions/${targetPrefix}ghc
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/9.0.1.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/9.0.1.nix
index bf94fc3c4d00..c2cc1358e821 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/9.0.1.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/9.0.1.nix
@@ -268,6 +268,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (rec {
     # * https://gitlab.haskell.org/ghc/ghc/-/issues/19580
     ++ lib.optional stdenv.targetPlatform.isMusl "pie";
 
+  # big-parallel allows us to build with more than 2 cores on
+  # Hydra which already warrants a significant speedup
+  requiredSystemFeatures = [ "big-parallel" ];
+
   postInstall = ''
     # Install the bash completion file.
     install -D -m 444 utils/completion/ghc.bash $out/share/bash-completion/completions/${targetPrefix}ghc
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/9.2.1.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/9.2.1.nix
index c77fde7f06e9..46bacd5df1a8 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/9.2.1.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/9.2.1.nix
@@ -268,6 +268,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (rec {
     # * https://gitlab.haskell.org/ghc/ghc/-/issues/19580
     ++ lib.optional stdenv.targetPlatform.isMusl "pie";
 
+  # big-parallel allows us to build with more than 2 cores on
+  # Hydra which already warrants a significant speedup
+  requiredSystemFeatures = [ "big-parallel" ];
+
   postInstall = ''
     # Install the bash completion file.
     install -D -m 444 utils/completion/ghc.bash $out/share/bash-completion/completions/${targetPrefix}ghc
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/head.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/head.nix
index 6b7d7c21e491..6eefc067d6e8 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/head.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/ghc/head.nix
@@ -285,6 +285,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (rec {
     # * https://gitlab.haskell.org/ghc/ghc/-/issues/19580
     ++ lib.optional stdenv.targetPlatform.isMusl "pie";
 
+  # big-parallel allows us to build with more than 2 cores on
+  # Hydra which already warrants a significant speedup
+  requiredSystemFeatures = [ "big-parallel" ];
+
   postInstall = ''
     # Install the bash completion file.
     install -D -m 444 utils/completion/ghc.bash $out/share/bash-completion/completions/${targetPrefix}ghc