diff --git a/pkgs/applications/terminal-emulators/xterm/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/terminal-emulators/xterm/default.nix
index 5eb565227a944..78c64e9ca3c3e 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/terminal-emulators/xterm/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/terminal-emulators/xterm/default.nix
@@ -54,8 +54,13 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "--with-app-defaults=$(out)/lib/X11/app-defaults"
   ] ++ lib.optional enableDecLocator "--enable-dec-locator";
 
-  # Work around broken "plink.sh".
-  NIX_LDFLAGS = "-lXmu -lXt -lICE -lX11 -lfontconfig";
+  env = {
+    # Work around broken "plink.sh".
+    NIX_LDFLAGS = "-lXmu -lXt -lICE -lX11 -lfontconfig";
+  } // lib.optionalAttrs stdenv.hostPlatform.isMusl {
+    # Various symbols missing without this define: TAB3, NLDLY, CRDLY, BSDLY, FFDLY, CBAUD
+    NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-D_GNU_SOURCE";
+  };
 
   # Hack to get xterm built with the feature of releasing a possible setgid of 'utmp',
   # decided by the sysadmin to allow the xterm reporting to /var/run/utmp