diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/fortune/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/fortune/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8e44b0998a2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/fortune/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, recode }:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  name = "fortune-mod_1.99.1";
+  src = fetchurl {
+    url = http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/f/fortune-mod/fortune-mod_1.99.1.orig.tar.gz;
+    sha256 = "1kpa2hgbglj5dbfasvl9wc1q3xpl91mqn3sfby46r4rwyzhswlgw";
+  };
+  buildInputs = [recode];
+  preConfigure = ''
+    sed -i "s|/usr/|$out/|" Makefile 
+  '';
+  postInstall = ''
+    ln -s $out/games/fortune $out/bin/fortune
+  '';
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "fortune is a simple program that displays a pseudorandom message from a database of quotations that first appeared in Version 7 Unix.";
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index a117703bfe1c..14ed08e1f7af 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -694,6 +694,8 @@ let
     withX11 = true;
   };
 
+  fortune = callPackage ../tools/misc/fortune { };
+
   freeipmi = callPackage ../tools/system/freeipmi {};
 
   freetalk = callPackage ../applications/networking/instant-messengers/freetalk {