diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird/builder.sh b/pkgs/applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird/builder.sh
index ecd2cbb91bc2..7635910ae9fa 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird/builder.sh
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird/builder.sh
@@ -1,23 +1,30 @@
 source $stdenv/setup
 
-preConfigure() {
-    cat mail/config/mozconfig > .mozconfig
-    cat >> .mozconfig <<EOF
-ac_add_options --disable-debug
-ac_add_options --enable-optimize=-O2
-ac_add_options --disable-ldap
-ac_add_options --enable-xft
-ac_add_options --disable-freetype2
-ac_add_options --enable-swg
-ac_add_options --enable-strip
-ac_add_options --enable-default-toolkit=gtk2
-ac_add_options --enable-single-profile
-ac_add_options --prefix=$out
-EOF
+postInstall=postInstall
+postInstall() {
+
+    # Strip some more stuff
+    strip -S $out/lib/*/* || true
+
+    # This fixes starting Thunderbird when there already is a running
+    # instance.  The `thunderbird' wrapper script actually expects to
+    # be in the same directory as `run-mozilla.sh', apparently.
+    libDir=$(cd $out/lib && ls -d thunderbird-*)
+    test -n "$libDir"
+    cd $out/bin
+    mv thunderbird ../lib/$libDir/
+    ln -s ../lib/$libDir/thunderbird .
+
+    # Register extensions etc.
+    echo "running thunderbird -register..."
+    (cd $out/lib/$libDir && LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./thunderbird-bin -register) || false
+
+    echo "running regxpcom..."
+    (cd $out/lib/$libDir && LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./regxpcom) || false
+
+    # Put the Thunderbird icon in the right place.
+    ensureDir $out/lib/$libDir/chrome/icons/default
+    ln -s ../../../icons/default.xpm  $out/lib/$libDir/chrome/icons/default/
 }
 
-preConfigure=preConfigure
-
-makeFlags="-f client.mk build"
-
 genericBuild
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird/default.nix
index f5c009e37d58..ca9c47ba0a16 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird/default.nix
@@ -1,18 +1,44 @@
-{stdenv, fetchurl, pkgconfig, gtk, perl, zip, libIDL}:
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, pkgconfig, gtk, perl, zip, libIDL, libXi
+, libjpeg, libpng, zlib, cairo
+
+, # If you want the resulting program to call itself "Thunderbird"
+  # instead of "Deer Park", enable this option.  However, those
+  # binaries may not be distributed without permission from the
+  # Mozilla Foundation, see
+  # http://www.mozilla.org/foundation/trademarks/.
+  enableOfficialBranding ? false
+    
+}:
 
-assert pkgconfig != null && gtk != null && perl != null
-  && zip != null && libIDL != null;
 
-# !!! assert libIDL.glib == gtk.glib;
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  name = "thunderbird-0.8";
+  name = "thunderbird-1.5";
 
   builder = ./builder.sh;
   src = fetchurl {
-    url = http://nix.cs.uu.nl/dist/tarballs/thunderbird-source-0.8.tar.bz2;
-    md5 = "76de1827d66ac482cfc4dd32e7b1e257";
+    url = http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/thunderbird/releases/1.5/source/thunderbird-1.5-source.tar.bz2;
+    md5 = "781c1cd1a01583d9b666d8c2fe4288e6";
   };
 
-  buildInputs = [pkgconfig gtk perl zip libIDL];
+  buildInputs = [
+    pkgconfig gtk perl zip libIDL libXi libjpeg libpng zlib cairo
+  ];
+  inherit gtk;
+
+  configureFlags = [
+    "--enable-application=mail"
+    "--enable-optimize"
+    "--disable-debug"
+    "--enable-xft"
+    "--disable-freetype2"
+    "--enable-svg"
+    "--enable-strip"
+    "--enable-default-toolkit=gtk2"
+    "--with-system-jpeg"
+    "--with-system-png"
+    "--with-system-zlib"
+    "--with-system-cairo"
+  ]
+  ++ (if enableOfficialBranding then ["--enable-official-branding"] else []);
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/system/all-packages-generic.nix b/pkgs/system/all-packages-generic.nix
index 69cbb469851b..7a30f83319fb 100644
--- a/pkgs/system/all-packages-generic.nix
+++ b/pkgs/system/all-packages-generic.nix
@@ -1907,17 +1907,13 @@ rec {
     inherit (xlibs) libXmu;
   };
 
-  thunderbird = 
-    (import ../build-support/make-symlinks) {
-      inherit stdenv;
-      dir =
-        (import ../applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird) {
-          inherit fetchurl stdenv pkgconfig perl zip;
-          inherit (gtkLibs) gtk;
-          inherit (gnome) libIDL;
-        };
-      files = ["bin/thunderbird" "lib/thunderbird-0.8/icons"];
-    };
+  thunderbird = import ../applications/networking/mailreaders/thunderbird {
+    inherit fetchurl stdenv pkgconfig perl zip libjpeg libpng zlib cairo;
+    inherit (gtkLibs) gtk;
+    inherit (gnome) libIDL;
+    inherit (xlibs) libXi;
+    #enableOfficialBranding = true;
+  };
 
   lynx = (import ../applications/networking/browsers/lynx) {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv ncurses openssl;