diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gts/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/gts/default.nix
index adf914369cf5..48bdfc9b5e1b 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/gts/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gts/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ fetchurl, stdenv, pkgconfig, autoreconfHook, gettext, glib }:
+{ fetchurl, stdenv, pkgconfig, autoreconfHook, gettext, glib, buildPackages }:
 
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
@@ -12,12 +12,26 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "07mqx09jxh8cv9753y2d2jsv7wp8vjmrd7zcfpbrddz3wc9kx705";
   };
 
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgconfig autoreconfHook ];
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    pkgconfig
+    autoreconfHook
+    glib  # required to satisfy AM_PATH_GLIB_2_0
+  ];
   buildInputs = [ gettext ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ glib ];
 
   doCheck = false; # fails with "permission denied"
 
+  preBuild = stdenv.lib.optionalString (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform) ''
+    pushd src
+    make CC=${buildPackages.stdenv.cc}/bin/cc predicates_init
+    mv predicates_init predicates_init_build
+    make clean
+    popd
+
+    substituteInPlace src/Makefile --replace "./predicates_init" "./predicates_init_build"
+  '';
+
   meta = {
     homepage = "http://gts.sourceforge.net/";
     license = stdenv.lib.licenses.lgpl2Plus;