diff --git a/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/builder.sh b/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/builder.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 2fb16b259bdc..000000000000
--- a/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/builder.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-source $stdenv/setup
-
-preBuild() {
-  cd src
-}
-
-preInstall() {
-  mkdir -p $out/bin
-}
-
-postInstall() {
-  # Install the "prefabs".
-  mkdir -p $out/share/ploticus/prefabs &&		\
-  cd .. &&						\
-  cp -rv prefabs/* $out/share/ploticus/prefabs
-
-  # Create a wrapper that knows where to find them.  Debian's package
-  # does something similar by patching directly the C file that looks
-  # for `$PLOTICUS_PREFABS'.
-  cat > $out/bin/ploticus <<EOF
-#! $SHELL -e
-PLOTICUS_PREFABS="$out/share/ploticus/prefabs"
-export PLOTICUS_PREFABS
-exec "$out/bin/pl" \$@
-EOF
-  chmod +x $out/bin/ploticus
-
-  # Install the man pages.
-  cp -rv man $out
-  ln -s "$out/man/man1/pl.1" "$out/man/man1/ploticus.1"
-}
-
-genericBuild
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/default.nix
index 23d6919f78e0..50b7aad48a04 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/default.nix
@@ -1,34 +1,74 @@
-{lib, stdenv, fetchurl, zlib, libX11, libpng}:
+{ lib
+, stdenv
+, fetchurl
+, zlib
+, libX11
+, libpng
+, gd
+, freetype
+}:
 
-stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  name = "ploticus-2.42";
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  pname = "ploticus";
+  version = "2.42";
 
-  builder = ./builder.sh;
   src = fetchurl {
-    url = "mirror://sourceforge/ploticus/ploticus/2.41/pl241src.tar.gz";
-    sha256 = "1065r0nizjixi9sxxfxrnwg10r458i6fgsd23nrxa200rypvdk7c";
+    url = "mirror://sourceforge/ploticus/ploticus/${version}/ploticus${lib.replaceStrings [ "." ] [ "" ] version}_src.tar.gz";
+    sha256 = "PynkufQFIDqT7+yQDlgW2eG0OBghiB4kHAjKt91m4LA=";
   };
 
-  buildInputs = [ zlib libX11 libpng ];
+  patches = [
+    # Replace hardcoded FHS path with $out.
+    ./ploticus-install.patch
+
+    # Set the location of the PREFABS directory.
+    ./set-prefabs-dir.patch
+
+    # Use gd from Nixpkgs instead of the vendored one.
+    # This is required for non-ASCII fonts to work:
+    # http://ploticus.sourceforge.net/doc/fonts.html
+    ./use-gd-package.patch
+  ];
+
+  buildInputs = [
+    zlib
+    libX11
+    libpng
+    gd
+    freetype
+  ];
 
   hardeningDisable = [ "format" ];
 
-  patches = [ ./ploticus-install.patch ];
+  preBuild = ''
+    cd src
+  '';
 
-  # Make the symlink relative instead of absolute.
-  # Otherwise it breaks when auto-moved to $out/share.
-  preFixup = ''
-    ln -sf pl.1 "$out"/man/man1/ploticus.1
+  preInstall = ''
+    mkdir -p "$out/bin"
+  '';
+
+  postInstall = ''
+    cd ..
+
+    # Install the “prefabs”.
+    mkdir -p "$out/share/ploticus/prefabs"
+    cp -rv prefabs/* "$out/share/ploticus/prefabs"
+
+    # Add aliases for backwards compatibility.
+    ln -s "pl" "$out/bin/ploticus"
   '';
 
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "A non-interactive software package for producing plots and charts";
-    longDescription = ''Ploticus is a free, GPL'd, non-interactive
+    longDescription = ''
+      Ploticus is a free, GPL'd, non-interactive
       software package for producing plots, charts, and graphics from
       data.  Ploticus is good for automated or just-in-time graph
       generation, handles date and time data nicely, and has basic
       statistical capabilities.  It allows significant user control
-      over colors, styles, options and details.'';
+      over colors, styles, options and details.
+    '';
     license = licenses.gpl2Plus;
     maintainers = with maintainers; [ pSub ];
     homepage = "http://ploticus.sourceforge.net/";
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/set-prefabs-dir.patch b/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/set-prefabs-dir.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..82871654fdea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/set-prefabs-dir.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--- a/src/pl.h
++++ b/src/pl.h
+@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
+ #include <stdlib.h>
+ #include "plg.h"
+ 
+-#define PREFABS_DIR ""  	 /* INSTALLERS can set this to a valid pathname, so that users don't need to set PLOTICUS_PREFABS env var */
++#define PREFABS_DIR "@out@/share/ploticus/prefabs"  	 /* INSTALLERS can set this to a valid pathname, so that users don't need to set PLOTICUS_PREFABS env var */
+ 
+ #define PLVERSION "2.42-May2013" /* see also the Copyright page, and page headers and footers */
+ 
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/use-gd-package.patch b/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/use-gd-package.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9a72489ddaad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/graphics/ploticus/use-gd-package.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+--- a/src/Makefile
++++ b/src/Makefile
+@@ -91,10 +91,10 @@
+ 
+ 
+ ########### Option 1: use bundled GD16 (PNG only).  Requires libpng and zlib.
+-exetarget: plpng 
+-GD16LIBS = -lpng -lz
+-GD16H =  -I/usr/local/include
+-ZFLAG = -DWZ
++# exetarget: plpng 
++# GD16LIBS = -lpng -lz
++# GD16H =  -I/usr/local/include
++# ZFLAG = -DWZ
+ ### These should remain commented unless your libs are not in usual places, then alter to suit...
+ ### GD16LIBS = /home/scg/lib/libpng.a /home/scg/lib/libz.a
+ ### GD16H = -I/home/scg/lib
+@@ -111,11 +111,11 @@
+ 
+ ########### Option 4: use your own GD resource with FreeType2 (ttf) fonts enabled.  
+ ###########           Requires GD 1.84+, libpng, zlib, libjpeg and libfreetype
+-# exetarget: plgd18 
+-# GD18LIBS = -lgd -lpng -lz -ljpeg -lfreetype
+-# GD18H = 
+-# GDFREETYPE = -DGDFREETYPE
+-# ZFLAG = -DWZ
++exetarget: plgd18 
++GD18LIBS = -lgd -lpng -lz -ljpeg -lfreetype
++GD18H = 
++GDFREETYPE = -DGDFREETYPE
++ZFLAG = -DWZ
+ 
+ ########### Option 5: don't use GD at all.
+ # exetarget: plnogd