diff --git a/doc/build-helpers/fetchers.chapter.md b/doc/build-helpers/fetchers.chapter.md
index cfd0730d031c..997f97f81bdb 100644
--- a/doc/build-helpers/fetchers.chapter.md
+++ b/doc/build-helpers/fetchers.chapter.md
@@ -773,9 +773,14 @@ Additionally, the following optional arguments can be given:
 
 : Whether to fetch LFS objects.
 
+*`preFetch`* (String)
+
+: Shell code to be executed before the repository has been fetched, to allow
+  changing the environment the fetcher runs in.
+
 *`postFetch`* (String)
 
-: Shell code executed after the file has been fetched successfully.
+: Shell code executed after the repository has been fetched successfully.
   This can do things like check or transform the file.
 
 *`leaveDotGit`* (Boolean)
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/builder.sh b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/builder.sh
index 0398121aca90..569a67182844 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/builder.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 echo "exporting $url (rev $rev) into $out"
 
+runHook preFetch
+
 $SHELL $fetcher --builder --url "$url" --out "$out" --rev "$rev" --name "$name" \
   ${leaveDotGit:+--leave-dotGit} \
   ${fetchLFS:+--fetch-lfs} \
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/default.nix
index 5145aa83116f..1da8d2591c5b 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/fetchgit/default.nix
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ lib.makeOverridable (
       nonConeMode ? false,
       name ? null,
       nativeBuildInputs ? [ ],
+      # Shell code executed before the file has been fetched.  This, in
+      # particular, can do things like set NIX_PREFETCH_GIT_CHECKOUT_HOOK to
+      # run operations between the checkout completing and deleting the .git
+      # directory.
+      preFetch ? "",
       # Shell code executed after the file has been fetched
       # successfully. This can do things like check or transform the file.
       postFetch ? "",
@@ -75,7 +80,6 @@ lib.makeOverridable (
       server admins start using the new version?
     */
 
-    assert deepClone -> leaveDotGit;
     assert nonConeMode -> (sparseCheckout != [ ]);
 
     let
@@ -130,6 +134,7 @@ lib.makeOverridable (
           deepClone
           branchName
           nonConeMode
+          preFetch
           postFetch
           ;
         rev = revWithTag;