diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix
index bcfca5fddb5d..5981cdc3a5c3 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 
 { stdenv
 , fetchurl
+, cpp ? false
+, gfortran ? null
 , zlib ? null
 , szip ? null
 , mpi ? null
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   };
 
   buildInputs = []
+    ++ stdenv.lib.optional (gfortran != null) gfortran
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional (zlib != null) zlib
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional (szip != null) szip;
 
@@ -27,6 +30,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional (mpi != null) mpi;
 
   configureFlags = "
+    ${if cpp then "--enable-cxx" else ""}
+    ${if gfortran != null then "--enable-fortran" else ""}
     ${if szip != null then "--with-szlib=${szip}" else ""}
     ${if mpi != null then "--enable-parallel" else ""}
     ${if enableShared then "--enable-shared" else ""}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 634ec4fdbd16..3916505c7f88 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -1814,6 +1814,7 @@ let
   hddtemp = callPackage ../tools/misc/hddtemp { };
 
   hdf5 = callPackage ../tools/misc/hdf5 {
+    gfortran = null;
     szip = null;
     mpi = null;
   };
@@ -1823,6 +1824,14 @@ let
     mpi = pkgs.openmpi;
   };
 
+  hdf5-cpp = hdf5.override {
+    cpp = true;
+  };
+
+  hdf5-fortran = hdf5.override {
+    inherit gfortran;
+  };
+
   heimdall = callPackage ../tools/misc/heimdall { };
 
   hevea = callPackage ../tools/typesetting/hevea { };