diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/package/make-package.nix b/pkgs/build-support/package/make-package.nix
index 80d6e42f7a5f73..15758a7002b04b 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/package/make-package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/package/make-package.nix
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ let
         deps = old.deps // f old.deps;
       });
 
+      # FIXME: Use `toExtension f`?
+      # TODO: Support legacy attrs like passthru?
       overrideAttrs = f:
         this.extend (this: old:
           let
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ let
       // outputs;
   };
 
-  layers.withDeps = f: this: old:
+  layers.withDeps = f: externalArgs: this: old:
     let
       fargs = lib.functionArgs f;
       spy = lib.setFunctionArgs
@@ -127,11 +129,25 @@ let
             true)
           fargs);
       # TODO: make callPackage a parameter?
-      values = (callPackage spy { }).args;
+      values = (callPackage spy externalArgs).args;
       old2 = old // {
         deps = old.deps or {} // values;
+        inherit values;
       };
-      r = f (lib.mapAttrs (name: value: this.deps.${name}) fargs);
+      r =
+        f
+          (lib.mapAttrs
+            (name: hasDefault:
+              builtins.addErrorContext
+                "while evaluating the package function argument `${name}`"
+                (externalArgs.${name} or (
+                  this.deps.${name} or (
+                    throw "Dependency ${name} went missing from the package internal `deps` attribute. Did you forget to preserve previous deps? Write e.g. `deps = prev.deps // { ... }`"
+                  )
+                ))
+            )
+            fargs
+          );
       r' = if lib.isList r then lib.composeManyExtensions r else r;
     in
       old2 //
@@ -143,13 +159,54 @@ let
   # TODO: layers.pkg-config
   # TODO: layers.<some language>
 
-  mkPackage = f: lib.encapsulate (lib.extends f baseLayer);
-  mkPackageWithDeps = f: mkPackage (layers.withDeps f);
+  layers.noop = _this: _old: { };
+
+  mkPackageWith = {
+    /* these are not overridable by the layer implementations - not suited for `deps` */
+    externalDeps ? { inherit layers; }
+  }: f: lib.encapsulate (
+    this:
+      let baseLayer' = x: baseLayer x // {
+        /**
+          Extend the package layers with the given function.
+         */
+        extend = f: this.extend (this: old: {
+          userLayer = lib.composeExtensions old.userLayer f;
+        });
+      };
+      in
+      # The root of the mkPackage fixpoint is responsible for managing the deps,
+      # and combining the layers (without adding an extra fixpoint).
+      # Virtually all package logic happens in userLayer.
+      {
+        userLayer = final: prev:
+          this.externalDeps.layers.withDeps
+            f
+            (this.externalDeps // {
+              # Package attributes
+              inherit final prev;
+              # Dependencies
+              /**
+                Override the package dependencies that are not overridable by the individual layer implementations,
+                Notably, the `layers` attribute.
+               */
+              overrideExternalDeps = newDeps:
+                this.extend (this: old: {
+                  externalDeps = old.externalDeps // newDeps;
+                });
+            })
+            final
+            prev;
+        inherit externalDeps;
+        package = lib.extends this.userLayer baseLayer' this.package;
+        inherit (this.package) public;
+      }
+  );
+  mkPackage = mkPackageWith {};
 in
 {
   inherit
     layers
     mkPackage
-    mkPackageWithDeps
     ;
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/he/hello/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/he/hello/package.nix
index 0cf0ae493b72ff..ed46895f03cea5 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/he/hello/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/he/hello/package.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ mkPackageWithDeps, layers }: mkPackageWithDeps ({ stdenv, fetchurl, testers, lib, callPackage, nixos }: [
+{ mkPackage }: mkPackage ({ final, layers, stdenv, fetchurl, testers, nixos, callPackage, lib }: [
   (layers.derivation { inherit stdenv; })
   (this: old: {
     name = "hello";