diff --git a/Stackage/Build.hs b/Stackage/Build.hs
index be1cb8b8..e6e34c84 100644
--- a/Stackage/Build.hs
+++ b/Stackage/Build.hs
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ defaultBuildSettings = BuildSettings
     , expectedFailures = defaultExpectedFailures
     , stablePackages = defaultStablePackages
     , extraArgs = ["-fnetwork23"]
+    , haskellPlatformCabal = "haskell-platform/haskell-platform.cabal"
+    , requireHaskellPlatform = True
     }
 
 build :: BuildSettings -> IO ()
diff --git a/Stackage/HaskellPlatform.hs b/Stackage/HaskellPlatform.hs
index cc08ff60..bf25e539 100644
--- a/Stackage/HaskellPlatform.hs
+++ b/Stackage/HaskellPlatform.hs
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import           Data.Set          (singleton)
 import           Distribution.Text (simpleParse)
 import           Stackage.Types
 
-loadHaskellPlatform :: IO HaskellPlatform
-loadHaskellPlatform = fmap parseHP $ readFile "haskell-platform/haskell-platform.cabal"
+loadHaskellPlatform :: BuildSettings -> IO HaskellPlatform
+loadHaskellPlatform = fmap parseHP . readFile . haskellPlatformCabal
 
 data HPLine = HPLPackage PackageIdentifier
             | HPLBeginCore
diff --git a/Stackage/InstallInfo.hs b/Stackage/InstallInfo.hs
index f7771b68..f7ccd9dd 100644
--- a/Stackage/InstallInfo.hs
+++ b/Stackage/InstallInfo.hs
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@ import Data.Version (showVersion)
 
 getInstallInfo :: BuildSettings -> IO InstallInfo
 getInstallInfo settings = do
-    hp <- loadHaskellPlatform
-    let allPackages = Map.union (stablePackages settings) $ identsToRanges (hplibs hp)
+    hp <- loadHaskellPlatform settings
+    let allPackages
+            | requireHaskellPlatform settings = Map.union (stablePackages settings) $ identsToRanges (hplibs hp)
+            | otherwise = stablePackages settings
     let totalCore = extraCore settings `Set.union` Set.map (\(PackageIdentifier p _) -> p) (hpcore hp)
     pdb <- loadPackageDB totalCore allPackages
     final <- narrowPackageDB pdb $ Set.fromList $ Map.toList $ Map.map snd $ allPackages
diff --git a/Stackage/Types.hs b/Stackage/Types.hs
index ba8e80bb..df051413 100644
--- a/Stackage/Types.hs
+++ b/Stackage/Types.hs
@@ -61,4 +61,6 @@ data BuildSettings = BuildSettings
     , expectedFailures :: Set PackageName
     , stablePackages :: Map PackageName (VersionRange, Maintainer)
     , extraArgs :: [String]
+    , haskellPlatformCabal :: FilePath
+    , requireHaskellPlatform :: Bool
     }