diff --git a/src/libstore/build/derivation-resolution-goal.cc b/src/libstore/build/derivation-resolution-goal.cc
index e205fc774bb..315edd2faf4 100644
--- a/src/libstore/build/derivation-resolution-goal.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/build/derivation-resolution-goal.cc
@@ -107,32 +107,7 @@ Goal::Co DerivationResolutionGoal::resolveDerivation()
     {
         auto & fullDrv = *drv;
 
-        auto drvType = fullDrv.type();
-        bool resolveDrv =
-            std::visit(
-                overloaded{
-                    [&](const DerivationType::InputAddressed & ia) {
-                        /* must resolve if deferred. */
-                        return ia.deferred;
-                    },
-                    [&](const DerivationType::ContentAddressed & ca) {
-                        return !fullDrv.inputDrvs.map.empty()
-                               && (ca.fixed
-                                       /* Can optionally resolve if fixed, which is good
-                                          for avoiding unnecessary rebuilds. */
-                                       ? experimentalFeatureSettings.isEnabled(Xp::CaDerivations)
-                                       /* Must resolve if floating and there are any inputs
-                                          drvs. */
-                                       : true);
-                    },
-                    [&](const DerivationType::Impure &) { return true; }},
-                drvType.raw)
-            /* no inputs are outputs of dynamic derivations */
-            || std::ranges::any_of(fullDrv.inputDrvs.map.begin(), fullDrv.inputDrvs.map.end(), [](auto & pair) {
-                   return !pair.second.childMap.empty();
-               });
-
-        if (resolveDrv && !fullDrv.inputDrvs.map.empty()) {
+        if (fullDrv.shouldResolve()) {
             experimentalFeatureSettings.require(Xp::CaDerivations);
 
             /* We are be able to resolve this derivation based on the
diff --git a/src/libstore/derivations.cc b/src/libstore/derivations.cc
index 76539e95131..10c6c724cc6 100644
--- a/src/libstore/derivations.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/derivations.cc
@@ -1119,6 +1119,39 @@ static void rewriteDerivation(Store & store, BasicDerivation & drv, const String
     }
 }
 
+bool Derivation::shouldResolve() const
+{
+    /* No input drvs means nothing to resolve. */
+    if (inputDrvs.map.empty())
+        return false;
+
+    auto drvType = type();
+
+    bool typeNeedsResolve = std::visit(
+        overloaded{
+            [&](const DerivationType::InputAddressed & ia) {
+                /* Must resolve if deferred. */
+                return ia.deferred;
+            },
+            [&](const DerivationType::ContentAddressed & ca) {
+                return ca.fixed
+                           /* Can optionally resolve if fixed, which is good
+                              for avoiding unnecessary rebuilds. */
+                           ? experimentalFeatureSettings.isEnabled(Xp::CaDerivations)
+                           /* Must resolve if floating. */
+                           : true;
+            },
+            [&](const DerivationType::Impure &) { return true; },
+        },
+        drvType.raw);
+
+    /* Also need to resolve if any inputs are outputs of dynamic derivations. */
+    bool hasDynamicInputs = std::ranges::any_of(
+        inputDrvs.map.begin(), inputDrvs.map.end(), [](auto & pair) { return !pair.second.childMap.empty(); });
+
+    return typeNeedsResolve || hasDynamicInputs;
+}
+
 std::optional<BasicDerivation> Derivation::tryResolve(Store & store, Store * evalStore) const
 {
     return tryResolve(
diff --git a/src/libstore/include/nix/store/derivations.hh b/src/libstore/include/nix/store/derivations.hh
index a8c702fc366..91a6b5b4085 100644
--- a/src/libstore/include/nix/store/derivations.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/include/nix/store/derivations.hh
@@ -340,6 +340,19 @@ struct Derivation : BasicDerivation
         bool maskOutputs,
         DerivedPathMap<StringSet>::ChildNode::Map * actualInputs = nullptr) const;
 
+    /**
+     * Determine whether this derivation should be resolved before building.
+     *
+     * Resolution is needed when:
+     * - Input-addressed derivations are deferred (depend on CA derivations)
+     * - Content-addressed derivations have input drvs and are either:
+     *   - Floating (non-fixed), which must always be resolved
+     *   - Fixed, which can optionally be resolved when ca-derivations is enabled
+     * - Impure derivations always need resolution
+     * - Any input derivations have outputs from dynamic derivations
+     */
+    bool shouldResolve() const;
+
     /**
      * Return the underlying basic derivation but with these changes:
      *
diff --git a/src/nix/nix-build/nix-build.cc b/src/nix/nix-build/nix-build.cc
index 53dc46eaa6f..360f3f43463 100644
--- a/src/nix/nix-build/nix-build.cc
+++ b/src/nix/nix-build/nix-build.cc
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ static void main_nix_build(int argc, char ** argv)
             shell = store->printStorePath(shellDrvOutputs.at("out").value()) + "/bin/bash";
         }
 
-        if (experimentalFeatureSettings.isEnabled(Xp::CaDerivations)) {
+        if (drv.shouldResolve()) {
             auto resolvedDrv = drv.tryResolve(*store);
             assert(resolvedDrv && "Successfully resolved the derivation");
             drv = *resolvedDrv;