diff --git a/extensions/stack_snapshot.bzl b/extensions/stack_snapshot.bzl
index 3e1221949..53b13c581 100644
--- a/extensions/stack_snapshot.bzl
+++ b/extensions/stack_snapshot.bzl
@@ -129,6 +129,17 @@ _package_tag = tag_class(
             default = False,
             doc = "Configuring a package makes it visible by default, unless `hidden` is set to True",
         ),
+        "components_args": attr.string_dict(
+            doc = """ components_args: Defines map from component to cabal settings for that package.
+            The cabal settings are a target of type `haskell_cabal_args`. Currently handles empty
+            libraries and telling the build system to ignore `Setup.hs`.
+            Use `lib` for the main library component, `exe:<exe-name>` for an executable component,
+            and `lib:<sublib-name>` for a sublibrary.
+            `exe` is a short-cut for `exe:<package-name>`.
+            Either use the builtin "@rules_haskell//tools/cabal_args:empty_library", or create your own
+            if necessary.
+            """,
+        ),
     },
 )
 
@@ -180,6 +191,8 @@ def _add_packages(conf, module, root_or_rules_haskell):
         if package_tag.components != ["DETECT_DEFAULT"]:
             # Some packages have default components set
             conf.components[package_name] = package_tag.components
+        if package_tag.components_args:
+            conf.components[package_name] = package_tag.components_args
         if package_tag.components_dependencies:
             conf.components_dependencies[package_name] = json.encode(package_tag.components_dependencies)
         if package_tag.extra_deps:
@@ -295,6 +308,7 @@ def _stack_snapshot_impl(mctx):
         extra_deps = {},
         components = {},
         components_dependencies = {},
+        components_args = {},
         vendored_packages = {},
     )
 
@@ -318,6 +332,7 @@ def _stack_snapshot_impl(mctx):
     kwargs["flags"] = packages_conf.flags
     kwargs["components"] = packages_conf.components
     kwargs["components_dependencies"] = packages_conf.components_dependencies
+    kwargs["components_args"] = packages_conf.components_args
     kwargs["extra_deps"] = packages_conf.extra_deps
     kwargs["vendored_packages"] = packages_conf.vendored_packages
     kwargs["name"] = "stackage"
diff --git a/haskell/cabal.bzl b/haskell/cabal.bzl
index d9f92908d..7286c12f0 100644
--- a/haskell/cabal.bzl
+++ b/haskell/cabal.bzl
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ load(
 load(
     ":providers.bzl",
     "HaddockInfo",
+    "HaskellCabalArgsInfo",
     "HaskellInfo",
     "HaskellLibraryInfo",
     "all_dependencies_package_ids",
@@ -102,13 +103,14 @@ def _find_cabal(srcs):
         fail("A .cabal file was not found in the srcs attribute.")
     return cabal
 
-def _find_setup(hs, cabal, srcs):
+def _find_setup(hs, cabal, srcs, ignore_setup = False):
     """Check that a Setup script exists. If not, create a default one."""
     setup = None
-    for f in srcs:
-        if f.basename in ["Setup.hs", "Setup.lhs"]:
-            if not setup or f.dirname < setup.dirname:
-                setup = f
+    if not ignore_setup:
+        for f in srcs:
+            if f.basename in ["Setup.hs", "Setup.lhs"]:
+                if not setup or f.dirname < setup.dirname:
+                    setup = f
     if not setup:
         setup = hs.actions.declare_file("Setup.hs", sibling = cabal)
         hs.actions.write(
@@ -125,21 +127,6 @@ main = defaultMain
 
 _CABAL_TOOLS = ["alex", "c2hs", "cpphs", "doctest", "happy"]
 
-# Some old packages are empty compatibility shims. Empty packages
-# cause Cabal to not produce the outputs it normally produces. Instead
-# of detecting that, we blacklist the offending packages, on the
-# assumption that such packages are old and rare.
-#
-# TODO: replace this with a more general solution.
-_EMPTY_PACKAGES_BLACKLIST = [
-    "bytestring-builder",
-    "fail",
-    "ghc-byteorder",
-    "haskell-gi-overloading",
-    "mtl-compat",
-    "nats",
-]
-
 def _cabal_tool_flag(tool):
     """Return a --with-PROG=PATH flag if input is a recognized Cabal tool. None otherwise."""
     if tool.basename in _CABAL_TOOLS:
@@ -437,6 +424,31 @@ def _shorten_library_symlink(dynamic_library):
     basename = dynamic_library.basename
     return paths.join(prefix, basename)
 
+def _haskell_cabal_args_impl(ctx):
+    is_empty = ctx.attr.is_empty
+    ignore_setup = ctx.attr.ignore_setup
+    cabal_args = HaskellCabalArgsInfo(
+        is_empty = is_empty,
+        ignore_setup = ignore_setup,
+    )
+    return [cabal_args]
+
+haskell_cabal_args = rule(
+    _haskell_cabal_args_impl,
+    attrs = {
+        "is_empty": attr.bool(
+            default = False,
+            doc = """True if this (sub) library is empty, with only re-exports, and no source files of its own.
+            It is necessary to set this, otherwise bazel will complain about missing "*libHS.a" files.""",
+        ),
+        "ignore_setup": attr.bool(
+            default = False,
+            doc = """True if this package has a "Setup.hs" that is not a cabal "Setup.hs". """,
+        ),
+    },
+    provides = [HaskellCabalArgsInfo],
+)
+
 def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
     hs = haskell_context(ctx)
     dep_info = gather_dep_info(ctx.attr.name, ctx.attr.deps)
@@ -447,6 +459,12 @@ def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
         override_cc_toolchain = hs.tools_config.maybe_exec_cc_toolchain,
     )
 
+    is_empty = False
+    ignore_setup = False
+    if ctx.attr.cabal_args:
+        is_empty = ctx.attr.cabal_args[HaskellCabalArgsInfo].is_empty
+        ignore_setup = ctx.attr.cabal_args[HaskellCabalArgsInfo].ignore_setup
+
     # All C and Haskell library dependencies.
     cc_info = cc_common.merge_cc_infos(
         cc_infos = [dep[CcInfo] for dep in ctx.attr.deps if CcInfo in dep],
@@ -474,7 +492,7 @@ def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
         fail("ERROR: `compiler_flags` attribute was removed. Use `cabalopts` with `--ghc-option` instead.")
 
     cabal = _find_cabal(ctx.files.srcs)
-    setup = _find_setup(hs, cabal, ctx.files.srcs)
+    setup = _find_setup(hs, cabal, ctx.files.srcs, ignore_setup)
     package_database = hs.actions.declare_file(
         "_install/{}.conf.d/package.cache".format(package_id),
         sibling = cabal,
@@ -487,7 +505,7 @@ def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
         "_install/{}_data".format(package_id),
         sibling = cabal,
     )
-    with_haddock = ctx.attr.haddock and hs.tools_config.supports_haddock
+    with_haddock = ctx.attr.haddock and hs.tools_config.supports_haddock and not is_empty
     if with_haddock:
         haddock_file = hs.actions.declare_file(
             "_install/{}_haddock/{}.haddock".format(package_id, package_name),
@@ -500,30 +518,36 @@ def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
     else:
         haddock_file = None
         haddock_html_dir = None
-    vanilla_library = hs.actions.declare_file(
-        "_install/lib/libHS{}.a".format(package_id),
-        sibling = cabal,
-    )
-    if with_profiling:
-        profiling_library = hs.actions.declare_file(
-            "_install/lib/libHS{}_p.a".format(package_id),
-            sibling = cabal,
-        )
-        static_library = profiling_library
-    else:
+    if is_empty:
+        vanilla_library = None
+        static_library = None
         profiling_library = None
-        static_library = vanilla_library
-    if hs.toolchain.static_runtime:
         dynamic_library = None
     else:
-        dynamic_library = hs.actions.declare_file(
-            "_install/lib/libHS{}-ghc{}.{}".format(
-                package_id,
-                hs.toolchain.version,
-                _so_extension(hs),
-            ),
+        vanilla_library = hs.actions.declare_file(
+            "_install/lib/libHS{}.a".format(package_id),
             sibling = cabal,
         )
+        if with_profiling:
+            profiling_library = hs.actions.declare_file(
+                "_install/lib/libHS{}_p.a".format(package_id),
+                sibling = cabal,
+            )
+            static_library = profiling_library
+        else:
+            profiling_library = None
+            static_library = vanilla_library
+        if hs.toolchain.static_runtime:
+            dynamic_library = None
+        else:
+            dynamic_library = hs.actions.declare_file(
+                "_install/lib/libHS{}-ghc{}.{}".format(
+                    package_id,
+                    hs.toolchain.version,
+                    _so_extension(hs),
+                ),
+                sibling = cabal,
+            )
     (tool_inputs, tool_input_manifests) = ctx.resolve_tools(tools = ctx.attr.tools)
     c = _prepare_cabal_inputs(
         hs,
@@ -557,11 +581,12 @@ def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
     outputs = [
         package_database,
         interfaces_dir,
-        vanilla_library,
         data_dir,
     ]
     if with_haddock:
         outputs.extend([haddock_file, haddock_html_dir])
+    if vanilla_library != None:
+        outputs.append(vanilla_library)
     if dynamic_library != None:
         outputs.append(dynamic_library)
     if with_profiling:
@@ -582,8 +607,13 @@ def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
         progress_message = "HaskellCabalLibrary {}".format(hs.label),
     )
 
+    if not is_empty:
+        default_info_libs = depset([static_library] + ([dynamic_library] if dynamic_library != None else []))
+    else:
+        default_info_libs = depset([package_database])
+
     default_info = DefaultInfo(
-        files = depset([static_library] + ([dynamic_library] if dynamic_library != None else [])),
+        files = default_info_libs,
         runfiles = ctx.runfiles(
             files = [data_dir],
             collect_default = True,
@@ -632,7 +662,7 @@ def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
     )
     linker_input = cc_common.create_linker_input(
         owner = ctx.label,
-        libraries = depset(direct = [
+        libraries = depset(direct = ([] if is_empty else [
             cc_common.create_library_to_link(
                 actions = ctx.actions,
                 feature_configuration = feature_configuration,
@@ -642,7 +672,7 @@ def _haskell_cabal_library_impl(ctx):
                 static_library = static_library,
                 cc_toolchain = cc_toolchain,
             ),
-        ]),
+        ])),
     )
     compilation_context = cc_common.create_compilation_context()
     linking_context = cc_common.create_linking_context(
@@ -751,6 +781,10 @@ haskell_cabal_library = rule(
             library symlink underneath `_solib_<cpu>` will be shortened to
             avoid exceeding the MACH-O header size limit on MacOS.""",
         ),
+        "cabal_args": attr.label(
+            doc = """A haskell_cabal_args target with cabal specific settings for this package.""",
+            providers = [[HaskellCabalArgsInfo]],
+        ),
     },
     toolchains = use_cc_toolchain() + [
         "@rules_haskell//haskell:toolchain",
@@ -799,6 +833,10 @@ def _haskell_cabal_binary_impl(ctx):
         override_cc_toolchain = hs.tools_config.maybe_exec_cc_toolchain,
     )
 
+    ignore_setup = False
+    if ctx.attr.cabal_args:
+        ignore_setup = ctx.attr.cabal_args[HaskellCabalArgsInfo].ignore_setup
+
     # All C and Haskell library dependencies.
     cc_info = cc_common.merge_cc_infos(
         cc_infos = [dep[CcInfo] for dep in ctx.attr.deps if CcInfo in dep],
@@ -820,7 +858,7 @@ def _haskell_cabal_binary_impl(ctx):
         fail("ERROR: `compiler_flags` attribute was removed. Use `cabalopts` with `--ghc-option` instead.")
 
     cabal = _find_cabal(ctx.files.srcs)
-    setup = _find_setup(hs, cabal, ctx.files.srcs)
+    setup = _find_setup(hs, cabal, ctx.files.srcs, ignore_setup)
     package_database = hs.actions.declare_file(
         "_install/{}.conf.d/package.cache".format(hs.label.name),
         sibling = cabal,
@@ -960,6 +998,10 @@ haskell_cabal_binary = rule(
         "flags": attr.string_list(
             doc = "List of Cabal flags, will be passed to `Setup.hs configure --flags=...`.",
         ),
+        "cabal_args": attr.label(
+            doc = """A haskell_cabal_args target with cabal specific settings for this package.""",
+            providers = [[HaskellCabalArgsInfo]],
+        ),
         "_cabal_wrapper": attr.label(
             executable = True,
             cfg = "exec",
@@ -1124,6 +1166,16 @@ _default_components = {
     "cpphs": struct(lib = True, exe = ["cpphs"], sublibs = []),
     "doctest": struct(lib = True, exe = ["doctest"], sublibs = []),
     "happy": struct(lib = False, exe = ["happy"], sublibs = []),
+    # Below are compatibility libraries that produce an empty cabal library.
+}
+
+_default_components_args = {
+    "bytestring-builder:lib:bytestring-builder": "@rules_haskell//tools/cabal_args:empty_library",
+    "fail:lib:fail": "@rules_haskell//tools/cabal_args:empty_library",
+    "ghc-byteorder:lib:ghc-byteorder": "@rules_haskell//tools/cabal_args:empty_library",
+    "haskell-gi-overloading:lib:haskell-gi-overloading": "@rules_haskell//tools/cabal_args:empty_library",
+    "mtl-compat:lib:mtl-compat": "@rules_haskell//tools/cabal_args:empty_library",
+    "nats:lib:nats": "@rules_haskell//tools/cabal_args:empty_library",
 }
 
 def _get_components(components, package):
@@ -1135,6 +1187,9 @@ def _get_components(components, package):
     """
     return components.get(package, _default_components.get(package, struct(lib = True, exe = [], sublibs = [])))
 
+def _get_components_args(components_args, component):
+    return components_args.get(component, _default_components_args.get(component, None))
+
 def _parse_json_field(json, field, ty, errmsg):
     """Read and type-check a field from a JSON object.
 
@@ -1160,6 +1215,17 @@ def _parse_json_field(json, field, ty, errmsg):
         )))
     return json[field]
 
+def _parse_components_args_key(component):
+    pieces = component.split(":")
+    if len(pieces) == 1:
+        component = "{}:lib:{}".format(component, component)
+    elif len(pieces) == 2 or (len(pieces) == 3 and pieces[2] == ""):
+        if pieces[1] == "lib" or pieces[1] == "exe":
+            component = "{}:{}:{}".format(pieces[0], pieces[1], pieces[0])
+        else:
+            component = "{}:lib:{}".format(pieces[0], pieces[1])
+    return component
+
 def _parse_package_spec(package_spec, enable_custom_toolchain_libraries, custom_toolchain_libraries):
     """Parse a package description from `stack ls dependencies json`.
 
@@ -1955,6 +2021,10 @@ def _stack_snapshot_impl(repository_ctx):
         for (name, components) in repository_ctx.attr.components.items()
     }
     all_components = {}
+    user_components_args = {
+        _parse_components_args_key(component): args
+        for (component, args) in repository_ctx.attr.components_args.items()
+    }
     for (name, spec) in resolved.items():
         all_components[name] = _get_components(user_components, name)
         user_components.pop(name, None)
@@ -2039,20 +2109,6 @@ alias(name = "_{name}_exe_{exe}", actual = "{actual}_exe_{exe}", visibility = {v
 haskell_toolchain_library(name = "{name}", visibility = {visibility})
 """.format(name = name, visibility = visibility),
             )
-        elif name in _EMPTY_PACKAGES_BLACKLIST:
-            build_file_builder.append(
-                """
-haskell_library(
-    name = "{name}",
-    version = "{version}",
-    visibility = {visibility},
-)
-""".format(
-                    name = name,
-                    version = version,
-                    visibility = visibility,
-                ),
-            )
         else:
             library_deps = [
                 dep
@@ -2083,6 +2139,12 @@ haskell_library(
                 )).relative(label))
                 for label in repository_ctx.attr.setup_deps.get(name, [])
             ]
+
+            lib_args = _get_components_args(user_components_args, "{}:lib:{}".format(name, name))
+            cabal_args = ""
+            if lib_args != None:
+                cabal_args = "cabal_args = \"{}\",".format(lib_args)
+
             if all_components[name].lib:
                 build_file_builder.append(
                     """
@@ -2098,6 +2160,7 @@ haskell_cabal_library(
     visibility = {visibility},
     cabalopts = ["--ghc-option=-w", "--ghc-option=-optF=-w"],
     verbose = {verbose},
+    {cabal_args}
     unique_name = True,
 )
 """.format(
@@ -2111,6 +2174,7 @@ haskell_cabal_library(
                         tools = library_tools,
                         visibility = visibility,
                         verbose = repr(repository_ctx.attr.verbose),
+                        cabal_args = cabal_args,
                     ),
                 )
                 build_file_builder.append(
@@ -2126,6 +2190,10 @@ haskell_cabal_library(
                     for comp in ["exe:{}".format(exe)] + (["exe"] if exe == name else [])
                     for comp_dep in package_components_dependencies.get(comp, [])
                 ]
+                exe_args = _get_components_args(user_components_args, "{}:exe:{}".format(name, exe))
+                cabal_args = ""
+                if exe_args != None:
+                    cabal_args = "cabal_args = \"{}\",".format(lib_args)
                 build_file_builder.append(
                     """
 haskell_cabal_binary(
@@ -2138,6 +2206,7 @@ haskell_cabal_binary(
     tools = {tools},
     visibility = ["@{workspace}-exe//{name}:__pkg__"],
     cabalopts = ["--ghc-option=-w", "--ghc-option=-optF=-w", "--ghc-option=-static"],
+    {cabal_args}
     verbose = {verbose},
 )
 """.format(
@@ -2149,6 +2218,7 @@ haskell_cabal_binary(
                         deps = library_deps + exe_component_deps + ([name] if all_components[name].lib else []),
                         setup_deps = setup_deps,
                         tools = library_tools,
+                        cabal_args = cabal_args,
                         verbose = repr(repository_ctx.attr.verbose),
                     ),
                 )
@@ -2157,6 +2227,10 @@ haskell_cabal_binary(
                     _resolve_component_target_name(name, c)
                     for c in package_components_dependencies.get("lib:{}".format(sublib), [])
                 ]
+                lib_args = _get_components_args(user_components_args, "{}:lib:{}".format(name, sublib))
+                cabal_args = ""
+                if lib_args != None:
+                    cabal_args = "cabal_args = \"{}\",".format(lib_args)
                 build_file_builder.append(
                     """
 haskell_cabal_library(
@@ -2172,6 +2246,7 @@ haskell_cabal_library(
     tools = {tools},
     visibility = {visibility},
     cabalopts = ["--ghc-option=-w", "--ghc-option=-optF=-w"],
+    {cabal_args}
     verbose = {verbose},
 )
 """.format(
@@ -2186,8 +2261,10 @@ haskell_cabal_library(
                         tools = library_tools,
                         verbose = repr(repository_ctx.attr.verbose),
                         visibility = visibility,
+                        cabal_args = cabal_args,
                     ),
                 )
+
     build_file_content = "\n".join(build_file_builder)
     repository_ctx.file("BUILD.bazel", build_file_content, executable = False)
 
@@ -2237,6 +2314,7 @@ _stack_snapshot = repository_rule(
         "verbose": attr.bool(default = False),
         "custom_toolchain_libraries": attr.string_list(default = []),
         "enable_custom_toolchain_libraries": attr.bool(default = False),
+        "components_args": attr.string_dict(),
     },
 )
 
@@ -2449,6 +2527,7 @@ def stack_snapshot(
         netrc = "",
         toolchain_libraries = None,
         setup_stack = True,
+        components_args = {},
         label_builder = lambda l: Label(l),
         **kwargs):
     """Use Stack to download and extract Cabal source distributions.
@@ -2708,6 +2787,7 @@ def stack_snapshot(
         tools = tools,
         components = components,
         components_dependencies = components_dependencies,
+        components_args = components_args,
         verbose = verbose,
         custom_toolchain_libraries = toolchain_libraries,
         enable_custom_toolchain_libraries = toolchain_libraries != None,
diff --git a/haskell/private/cabal_wrapper.py b/haskell/private/cabal_wrapper.py
index 82993fe48..8bc35717d 100755
--- a/haskell/private/cabal_wrapper.py
+++ b/haskell/private/cabal_wrapper.py
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ def make_relative_to_pkgroot(matchobj):
     line = re.sub(re.escape(cfg_execroot) + r'\S*', make_relative_to_pkgroot, line)
     return line
 
-if libraries != [] and os.path.isfile(package_conf_file):
+if os.path.isfile(package_conf_file):
     for lib in libraries:
         os.rename(lib, os.path.join(dynlibdir, os.path.basename(lib)))
 
diff --git a/haskell/providers.bzl b/haskell/providers.bzl
index f17803c8f..404db0781 100644
--- a/haskell/providers.bzl
+++ b/haskell/providers.bzl
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ HaskellLibraryInfo = provider(
     },
 )
 
+HaskellCabalArgsInfo = provider(
+    doc = "Settings for a haskell_cabal_library",
+    fields = {
+        "is_empty": "True if this (sub) library is empty, with only re-exports, and no source files of its own.",
+        "ignore_setup": "True if this package contains a \"Setup.hs\" that isn't a cabal Setup module.",
+    },
+)
+
 def all_package_ids(lib_info):
     return lib_info.exports.to_list()
 
diff --git a/tools/cabal_args/BUILD.bazel b/tools/cabal_args/BUILD.bazel
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bce5b5b7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/cabal_args/BUILD.bazel
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+load("@rules_haskell//haskell:cabal.bzl", "haskell_cabal_args")
+
+haskell_cabal_args(
+    name = "empty_library",
+    is_empty = True,
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
+haskell_cabal_args(
+    name = "ignore_setup",
+    ignore_setup = True,
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)