diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gperf/3.0.x.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gperf/3.0.x.nix
index e203f931b435..4a8b2e8daaba 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gperf/3.0.x.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gperf/3.0.x.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{stdenv, fetchurl}:
+{stdenv, fetchurl, autoreconfHook }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   name = "gperf-3.0.4";
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "0gnnm8iqcl52m8iha3sxrzrl9mcyhg7lfrhhqgdn4zj00ji14wbn";
   };
 
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ autoreconfHook ];
+  patches = [ ./gperf-ar-fix.patch ];
   meta = {
     description = "Perfect hash function generator";
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gperf/gperf-ar-fix.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gperf/gperf-ar-fix.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..942d726d76ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/misc/gperf/gperf-ar-fix.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+--- gperf-3.0.4/lib/configure.ac	2009-01-15 02:24:31.000000000 +0200
++++ gperf-3.0.4.patched/lib/configure.ac	2018-11-29 06:37:20.968627533 +0300
+@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@
+ 
+ AC_PREREQ([2.60])
+ AC_INIT([hash.cc])
++m4_include([../aclocal.m4])
+ AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
+ dnl
+ dnl           checks for programs
+ dnl
++AC_SUBST([AR])
+ AC_PROG_CC
+                       dnl sets variable CC
+ AC_PROG_CPP
+--- gperf-3.0.4/lib/Makefile.in	2008-08-23 21:52:48.000000000 +0300
++++ gperf-3.0.4.patched/lib/Makefile.in	2018-11-29 06:36:43.161998888 +0300
+@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
+ # Both C and C++ compiler
+ OBJEXT = @OBJEXT@
+ # Other
+-AR = ar
++AR = @AR@
+ AR_FLAGS = rc
+ RANLIB = @RANLIB@
+ MV = mv
+--- gperf-3.0.4/doc/configure.ac	2009-01-15 02:24:31.000000000 +0200
++++ gperf-3.0.4.patched/doc/configure.ac	2018-11-29 06:36:00.961288421 +0300
+@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
+ 
+ AC_PREREQ([2.60])
+ AC_INIT([gperf.1])
++m4_include([../aclocal.m4])
+ PACKAGE=gperf
+ AC_SUBST([PACKAGE])
+ AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
+--- gperf-3.0.4/src/configure.ac	2009-01-15 02:24:30.000000000 +0200
++++ gperf-3.0.4.patched/src/configure.ac	2018-11-29 06:34:21.718576658 +0300
+@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
+ 
+ AC_PREREQ([2.60])
+ AC_INIT([main.cc])
++m4_include([../aclocal.m4])
+ AC_CONFIG_HEADER([config.h])
+ AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
+ dnl