diff --git a/pkgs/applications/version-management/fossil/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/version-management/fossil/default.nix
index 325d2e77e1a3..7e842aa72e5f 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/version-management/fossil/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/version-management/fossil/default.nix
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 {stdenv, fetchurl, zlib, openssl, tcl, readline, sqlite}:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  name = "fossil-1.21";
+  name = "fossil-1.24";
 
   src = fetchurl {
-    url = http://www.fossil-scm.org/download/fossil-src-20111213135356.tar.gz;
-    sha256 = "07g78sf26v7zr4qzcwky4h4zzaaz8apy33d35bhc5ax63z6md1f9";
+    url = http://www.fossil-scm.org/download/fossil-src-20121022124804.tar.gz;
+    sha256 = "0gcvcrd368acxd79gh7p7caicgqd0f076n0i2if63mg3b8ivz9im";
   };
 
   buildInputs = [ zlib openssl readline sqlite ];
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
   checkTarget = "test";
 
+  preBuild=''
+    export USER=nonexistent-but-specified-user
+  '';
+
   installPhase = ''
     mkdir -p $out/bin
     INSTALLDIR=$out/bin make install