diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix
index ea71def36195..eb29e7d914c5 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
       applications to evolve in their use of HDF5. The HDF5 Technology suite includes tools and 
       applications for managing, manipulating, viewing, and analyzing data in the HDF5 format.
     '';
+    license = stdenv.lib.licenses.free; # BSD-like
     homepage = https://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/;
     platforms = stdenv.lib.platforms.unix;
   };
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/hdfjava/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdfjava/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..553e78c58a7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdfjava/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, cmake, javac }:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  name = "hdf-java-${version}";
+  version = "3.3.2";
+
+  src = fetchurl {
+    url = "http://www.hdfgroup.org/ftp/HDF5/releases/HDF-JAVA/hdfjni-${version}/src/CMake-hdfjava-${version}.tar.gz";
+    sha256 = "0m1gp2aspcblqzmpqbdpfp6giskws85ds6p5gz8sx7asyp7wznpr";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ cmake javac ];
+
+  configurePhase = "true";
+  buildPhase = "./build-hdfjava-unix.sh";
+  installPhase = ''
+    mkdir -p $out
+    cp -r build/_CPack_Packages/Linux/TGZ/HDFJava-3.3.2-Linux/HDF_Group/HDFJava/${version}/* $out/
+  '';
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "A Java package that implements HDF4 and HDF5 data objects in an object-oriented form";
+    license = stdenv.lib.licenses.free; # BSD-like
+    homepage = https://support.hdfgroup.org/products/java/index.html;
+    platforms = stdenv.lib.platforms.linux;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/hdfview/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdfview/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d69a3d2470d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdfview/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, cmake, ant, javac, hdf_java }:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  name = "hdfview-${version}";
+  version = "2.14";
+
+  src = fetchurl {
+    url = "http://support.hdfgroup.org/ftp/HDF5/hdf-java/current/src/${name}-${version}.tar.gz";
+    sha256 = "0lv9djfm7hnp14mcyzbiax3xjb8vkbzhh7bdl6cvgy53pc08784p";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ ant javac ];
+
+  HDFLIBS = hdf_java;
+
+  buildPhase = ''
+    ant run
+    ant package
+  '';
+
+  installPhase = ''
+    mkdir $out
+    # exclude jre
+    cp -r build/HDF_Group/HDFView/*/{lib,share} $out/
+    mkdir $out/bin
+    cp -r build/HDF_Group/HDFView/*/hdfview.sh $out/bin/hdfview
+    chmod +x $out/bin/hdfview
+    substituteInPlace $out/bin/hdfview \
+      --replace "@JAVABIN@" "${javac}/bin/" \
+      --replace "@INSTALLDIR@" "$out"
+  '';
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "A visual tool for browsing and editing HDF4 and HDF5 files";
+    license = stdenv.lib.licenses.free; # BSD-like
+    homepage = https://support.hdfgroup.org/products/java/index.html;
+    platforms = stdenv.lib.platforms.linux;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 9e8f4a853e98..107b5f5e7620 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -2464,6 +2464,14 @@ with pkgs;
     inherit gfortran;
   });
 
+  hdfview = callPackage ../tools/misc/hdfview {
+    javac = jdk;
+  };
+
+  hdf_java = callPackage ../tools/misc/hdfjava {
+    javac = jdk;
+  };
+
   hecate = callPackage ../applications/editors/hecate { };
 
   heaptrack = libsForQt5.callPackage ../development/tools/profiling/heaptrack {};