diff --git a/src/libcmd/installables.cc b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
index 0091a938a..86080f53a 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/installables.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ BuiltPaths build(ref<Store> evalStore, ref<Store> store, Realise mode,
         pathsToBuild.insert(pathsToBuild.end(), b.begin(), b.end());
     }
 
-    if (mode == Realise::Nothing)
+    if (mode == Realise::Nothing || mode == Realise::Derivation)
         printMissing(store, pathsToBuild, lvlError);
     else if (mode == Realise::Outputs)
         store->buildPaths(pathsToBuild, bMode, evalStore);
diff --git a/src/nix/build.cc b/src/nix/build.cc
index 13eb66ac6..ce6df7df8 100644
--- a/src/nix/build.cc
+++ b/src/nix/build.cc
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ struct CmdBuild : InstallablesCommand, MixDryRun, MixJSON, MixProfile
     {
         auto buildables = build(
             getEvalStore(), store,
-            dryRun ? Realise::Nothing : Realise::Outputs,
+            dryRun ? Realise::Derivation : Realise::Outputs,
             installables, buildMode);
 
         if (json) logger->cout("%s", derivedPathsWithHintsToJSON(buildables, store).dump());