diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/qca-qt5/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/qca-qt5/default.nix
index 9acea41da5cd..79b105a2d1c8 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/qca-qt5/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/qca-qt5/default.nix
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   buildInputs = [ openssl qtbase ];
   nativeBuildInputs = [ cmake pkgconfig ];
 
+  # Without this patch cmake fails with a "No known features for CXX compiler"
+  # error on darwin
+  patches = stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin ./move-project.patch ;
+
   # tells CMake to use this CA bundle file if it is accessible
   preConfigure = ''export QC_CERTSTORE_PATH=/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt'';
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/qca-qt5/move-project.patch b/pkgs/development/libraries/qca-qt5/move-project.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2a109a3aa3c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/qca-qt5/move-project.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
+index 453fd8a..5f6ee11 100644
+--- a/CMakeLists.txt
++++ b/CMakeLists.txt
+@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ if(NOT CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
+   unset(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX CACHE)
+ endif(NOT CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
+
+-project(qca)
+
+ if(NOT APPLE)
+   cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
+ else()
+   cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
+ endif()
++project(qca)
+
+ set(QCA_LIB_MAJOR_VERSION "2")
+ set(QCA_LIB_MINOR_VERSION "1")