diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/MAKEFLAGS-reexec.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/MAKEFLAGS-reexec.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a2f59657d4ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/MAKEFLAGS-reexec.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+http://bugs.gentoo.org/331975
+https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?30723
+
+--- main.c	2010/07/19 07:10:53	1.243
++++ main.c	2010/08/10 07:35:34	1.244
+@@ -2093,7 +2093,7 @@
+             const char *pv = define_makeflags (1, 1);
+             char *p = alloca (sizeof ("MAKEFLAGS=") + strlen (pv) + 1);
+             sprintf (p, "MAKEFLAGS=%s", pv);
+-            putenv (p);
++            putenv (allocated_variable_expand (p));
+           }
+ 
+ 	  if (ISDB (DB_BASIC))
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/archives-many-objs.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/archives-many-objs.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..73c0381ced45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/archives-many-objs.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+diff -u -p -r1.193 -r1.194
+--- read.c	13 Jul 2010 01:20:42 -0000	1.193
++++ read.c	14 Aug 2010 02:50:14 -0000	1.194
+@@ -3028,7 +3028,7 @@ parse_file_seq (char **stringp, unsigned
+             {
+               /* This looks like the first element in an open archive group.
+                  A valid group MUST have ')' as the last character.  */
+-              const char *e = p + nlen;
++              const char *e = p;
+               do
+                 {
+                   e = next_token (e);
+@@ -3084,19 +3084,19 @@ parse_file_seq (char **stringp, unsigned
+          Go to the next item in the string.  */
+       if (flags & PARSEFS_NOGLOB)
+         {
+-          NEWELT (concat (2, prefix, tp));
++          NEWELT (concat (2, prefix, tmpbuf));
+           continue;
+         }
+ 
+       /* If we get here we know we're doing glob expansion.
+          TP is a string in tmpbuf.  NLEN is no longer used.
+          We may need to do more work: after this NAME will be set.  */
+-      name = tp;
++      name = tmpbuf;
+ 
+       /* Expand tilde if applicable.  */
+-      if (tp[0] == '~')
++      if (tmpbuf[0] == '~')
+ 	{
+-	  tildep = tilde_expand (tp);
++	  tildep = tilde_expand (tmpbuf);
+ 	  if (tildep != 0)
+             name = tildep;
+ 	}
+@@ -3152,7 +3152,10 @@ parse_file_seq (char **stringp, unsigned
+             else
+               {
+                 /* We got a chain of items.  Attach them.  */
+-                (*newp)->next = found;
++                if (*newp)
++                  (*newp)->next = found;
++                else
++                  *newp = found;
+ 
+                 /* Find and set the new end.  Massage names if necessary.  */
+                 while (1)
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/construct-command-line.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/construct-command-line.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c504c45291ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/construct-command-line.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?23922
+
+From 6f3684710a0f832533191f8657a57bc2fbba90ba Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: eliz <eliz>
+Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 08:29:13 +0000
+Subject: [PATCH]  job.c (construct_command_argv_internal): Don't assume
+ shellflags  is always non-NULL.  Escape-protect characters
+ special to the  shell when copying the value of SHELL into
+ new_line.  Fixes  Savannah bug #23922.
+
+---
+ ChangeLog |  7 +++++++
+ job.c     | 23 ++++++++++++++++-------
+ 2 files changed, 23 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/job.c b/job.c
+index 67b402d..c2ce84d 100644
+--- a/job.c
++++ b/job.c
+@@ -2844,12 +2844,12 @@ construct_command_argv_internal (char *line, char **restp, char *shell,
+ 
+     unsigned int shell_len = strlen (shell);
+     unsigned int line_len = strlen (line);
+-    unsigned int sflags_len = strlen (shellflags);
++    unsigned int sflags_len = shellflags ? strlen (shellflags) : 0;
+     char *command_ptr = NULL; /* used for batch_mode_shell mode */
+     char *new_line;
+ 
+ # ifdef __EMX__ /* is this necessary? */
+-    if (!unixy_shell)
++    if (!unixy_shell && shellflags)
+       shellflags[0] = '/'; /* "/c" */
+ # endif
+ 
+@@ -2911,19 +2911,28 @@ construct_command_argv_internal (char *line, char **restp, char *shell,
+ 
+ 	new_argv = xmalloc (4 * sizeof (char *));
+ 	new_argv[0] = xstrdup(shell);
+-	new_argv[1] = xstrdup(shellflags);
++	new_argv[1] = xstrdup(shellflags ? shellflags : "");
+ 	new_argv[2] = line;
+ 	new_argv[3] = NULL;
+ 	return new_argv;
+       }
+ 
+-    new_line = alloca (shell_len + 1 + sflags_len + 1
++    new_line = alloca ((shell_len*2) + 1 + sflags_len + 1
+                              + (line_len*2) + 1);
+     ap = new_line;
+-    memcpy (ap, shell, shell_len);
+-    ap += shell_len;
++    /* Copy SHELL, escaping any characters special to the shell.  If
++       we don't escape them, construct_command_argv_internal will
++       recursively call itself ad nauseam, or until stack overflow,
++       whichever happens first.  */
++    for (p = shell; *p != '\0'; ++p)
++      {
++	if (strchr (sh_chars, *p) != 0)
++	  *(ap++) = '\\';
++	*(ap++) = *p;
++      }
+     *(ap++) = ' ';
+-    memcpy (ap, shellflags, sflags_len);
++    if (shellflags)
++      memcpy (ap, shellflags, sflags_len);
+     ap += sflags_len;
+     *(ap++) = ' ';
+     command_ptr = ap;
+-- 
+1.7.12
+
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/copy-on-expand.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/copy-on-expand.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3f202b4db96b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/copy-on-expand.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+fix from upstream cvs
+
+----------------------------
+revision 1.58
+date: 2011-08-29 12:20:19 -0400;  author: psmith;  state: Exp;  lines: +7 -13;  commitid: MdH0jSxpuIy7mqxv;
+Save strings we're expanding in case an embedded eval causes them
+to be freed (if they're the value of a variable that's reset for example).
+See Savannah patch #7534
+
+Index: expand.c
+===================================================================
+RCS file: /sources/make/make/expand.c,v
+retrieving revision 1.57
+retrieving revision 1.58
+diff -u -p -r1.57 -r1.58
+--- expand.c	7 May 2011 20:03:49 -0000	1.57
++++ expand.c	29 Aug 2011 16:20:19 -0000	1.58
+@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ variable_expand_string (char *line, cons
+ {
+   struct variable *v;
+   const char *p, *p1;
+-  char *abuf = NULL;
++  char *save;
+   char *o;
+   unsigned int line_offset;
+ 
+@@ -212,16 +212,11 @@ variable_expand_string (char *line, cons
+       return (variable_buffer);
+     }
+ 
+-  /* If we want a subset of the string, allocate a temporary buffer for it.
+-     Most of the functions we use here don't work with length limits.  */
+-  if (length > 0 && string[length] != '\0')
+-    {
+-      abuf = xmalloc(length+1);
+-      memcpy(abuf, string, length);
+-      abuf[length] = '\0';
+-      string = abuf;
+-    }
+-  p = string;
++  /* We need a copy of STRING: due to eval, it's possible that it will get
++     freed as we process it (it might be the value of a variable that's reset
++     for example).  Also having a nil-terminated string is handy.  */
++  save = length < 0 ? xstrdup (string) : xstrndup (string, length);
++  p = save;
+ 
+   while (1)
+     {
+@@ -411,8 +406,7 @@ variable_expand_string (char *line, cons
+       ++p;
+     }
+ 
+-  if (abuf)
+-    free (abuf);
++  free (save);
+ 
+   variable_buffer_output (o, "", 1);
+   return (variable_buffer + line_offset);
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/darwin-library_search-dylib.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/darwin-library_search-dylib.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..de7e4f615212
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/darwin-library_search-dylib.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+Fixed default libpatttern on Darwin, imported from prefix overlay.
+Got merged upstream:
+https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?37197
+--- default.c.orig	2009-05-02 12:25:24 +0200
++++ default.c	2009-05-02 12:25:58 +0200
+@@ -509,7 +509,11 @@
+ #ifdef __MSDOS__
+     ".LIBPATTERNS", "lib%.a $(DJDIR)/lib/lib%.a",
+ #else
++#ifdef __APPLE__
++    ".LIBPATTERNS", "lib%.dylib lib%.a",
++#else
+     ".LIBPATTERNS", "lib%.so lib%.a",
++#endif
+ #endif
+ #endif
+ 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/default.nix
index cf33e7a5bbc3..cb0ab18a40f5 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/default.nix
@@ -26,6 +26,21 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
       ./impure-dirs.patch
     ];
 
+  # a bunch of patches from Gentoo, mostly should be from upstream (unreleased)
+  preConfigure = ''
+      patch -i     ${./archives-many-objs.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./MAKEFLAGS-reexec.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./memory-corruption.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./glob-speedup.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./copy-on-expand.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./oneshell.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./parallel-remake.patch}
+      patch -p1 -i ${./intermediate-parallel.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./construct-command-line.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./long-command-line.patch}
+      patch -i     ${./darwin-library_search-dylib.patch}
+  '';
+
   meta = {
     description = "GNU Make, a program controlling the generation of non-source files from sources";
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/glob-speedup.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/glob-speedup.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c826c2c0e1fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/glob-speedup.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+change from upstream to speed up by skipping unused globs
+https://bugs.gentoo.org/382845
+
+http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/make/read.c?root=make&r1=1.198&r2=1.200
+
+Revision 1.200
+Sat May 7 14:36:12 2011 UTC (4 months, 1 week ago) by psmith 
+Branch: MAIN 
+Changes since 1.199: +1 -1 lines 
+Inverted the boolean test from what I wanted it to be.  Added a
+regression test to make sure this continues to work.
+
+Revision 1.199
+Mon May 2 00:18:06 2011 UTC (4 months, 2 weeks ago) by psmith 
+Branch: MAIN 
+Changes since 1.198: +35 -25 lines 
+Avoid invoking glob() unless the filename has potential globbing
+characters in it, for performance improvements.
+
+--- a/read.c	2011/04/29 15:27:39	1.198
++++ b/read.c	2011/05/07 14:36:12	1.200
+@@ -2901,6 +2901,7 @@
+       const char *name;
+       const char **nlist = 0;
+       char *tildep = 0;
++      int globme = 1;
+ #ifndef NO_ARCHIVES
+       char *arname = 0;
+       char *memname = 0;
+@@ -3109,32 +3110,40 @@
+ 	}
+ #endif /* !NO_ARCHIVES */
+ 
+-      switch (glob (name, GLOB_NOSORT|GLOB_ALTDIRFUNC, NULL, &gl))
+-	{
+-	case GLOB_NOSPACE:
+-	  fatal (NILF, _("virtual memory exhausted"));
+-
+-	case 0:
+-          /* Success.  */
+-          i = gl.gl_pathc;
+-          nlist = (const char **)gl.gl_pathv;
+-          break;
+-
+-        case GLOB_NOMATCH:
+-          /* If we want only existing items, skip this one.  */
+-          if (flags & PARSEFS_EXISTS)
+-            {
+-              i = 0;
+-              break;
+-            }
+-          /* FALLTHROUGH */
+-
+-	default:
+-          /* By default keep this name.  */
++      /* glob() is expensive: don't call it unless we need to.  */
++      if (!(flags & PARSEFS_EXISTS) && strpbrk (name, "?*[") == NULL)
++        {
++          globme = 0;
+           i = 1;
+           nlist = &name;
+-          break;
+-	}
++        }
++      else
++        switch (glob (name, GLOB_NOSORT|GLOB_ALTDIRFUNC, NULL, &gl))
++          {
++          case GLOB_NOSPACE:
++            fatal (NILF, _("virtual memory exhausted"));
++
++          case 0:
++            /* Success.  */
++            i = gl.gl_pathc;
++            nlist = (const char **)gl.gl_pathv;
++            break;
++
++          case GLOB_NOMATCH:
++            /* If we want only existing items, skip this one.  */
++            if (flags & PARSEFS_EXISTS)
++              {
++                i = 0;
++                break;
++              }
++            /* FALLTHROUGH */
++
++          default:
++            /* By default keep this name.  */
++            i = 1;
++            nlist = &name;
++            break;
++          }
+ 
+       /* For each matched element, add it to the list.  */
+       while (i-- > 0)
+@@ -3174,7 +3183,8 @@
+ #endif /* !NO_ARCHIVES */
+           NEWELT (concat (2, prefix, nlist[i]));
+ 
+-      globfree (&gl);
++      if (globme)
++        globfree (&gl);
+ 
+ #ifndef NO_ARCHIVES
+       if (arname)
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/intermediate-parallel.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/intermediate-parallel.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..88f2b238e698
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/intermediate-parallel.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+diff --git a/remake.c b/remake.c
+index c0bf709..b1ddd23 100644
+--- a/remake.c
++++ b/remake.c
+@@ -612,6 +612,10 @@ update_file_1 (struct file *file, unsigned int depth)
+                 d->file->dontcare = file->dontcare;
+               }
+ 
++            /* We may have already considered this file, when we didn't know
++               we'd need to update it.  Force update_file() to consider it and
++               not prune it.  */
++            d->file->considered = !considered;
+ 
+ 	    dep_status |= update_file (d->file, depth);
+ 
+diff --git a/tests/scripts/features/parallelism b/tests/scripts/features/parallelism
+index d4250f0..76d24a7 100644
+--- a/tests/scripts/features/parallelism
++++ b/tests/scripts/features/parallelism
+@@ -214,6 +214,23 @@ rm main.x");
+     rmfiles(qw(foo.y foo.y.in main.bar));
+ }
+ 
++# Ensure intermediate/secondary files are not pruned incorrectly.
++# See Savannah bug #30653
++
++utouch(-15, 'file2');
++utouch(-10, 'file4');
++utouch(-5,  'file1');
++
++run_make_test(q!
++.INTERMEDIATE: file3
++file4: file3 ; @mv -f $< $@
++file3: file2 ; touch $@
++file2: file1 ; @touch $@
++!,
++              '--no-print-directory -j2', "touch file3");
++
++#rmfiles('file1', 'file2', 'file3', 'file4');
++
+ if ($all_tests) {
+     # Jobserver FD handling is messed up in some way.
+     # Savannah bug #28189
+-- 
+1.7.12
+
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/long-command-line.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/long-command-line.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9266786e4da7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/long-command-line.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?36451
+
+From a95796de3a491d8acfc8ea94c217b90531161786 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: psmith <psmith>
+Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2012 23:25:07 +0000
+Subject: [PATCH] Keep the command line on the heap to avoid stack overflow.
+ Fixes Savannah bug #36451.
+
+---
+ ChangeLog |  3 +++
+ job.c     | 13 +++++++++----
+ 2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/job.c b/job.c
+index 754576b..f7b7d51 100644
+--- a/job.c
++++ b/job.c
+@@ -2984,8 +2984,8 @@ construct_command_argv_internal (char *line, char **restp, char *shell,
+ 	return new_argv;
+       }
+ 
+-    new_line = alloca ((shell_len*2) + 1 + sflags_len + 1
+-                             + (line_len*2) + 1);
++    new_line = xmalloc ((shell_len*2) + 1 + sflags_len + 1
++                        + (line_len*2) + 1);
+     ap = new_line;
+     /* Copy SHELL, escaping any characters special to the shell.  If
+        we don't escape them, construct_command_argv_internal will
+@@ -3052,8 +3052,11 @@ construct_command_argv_internal (char *line, char **restp, char *shell,
+ 	*ap++ = *p;
+       }
+     if (ap == new_line + shell_len + sflags_len + 2)
+-      /* Line was empty.  */
+-      return 0;
++      {
++        /* Line was empty.  */
++        free (new_line);
++        return 0;
++      }
+     *ap = '\0';
+ 
+ #ifdef WINDOWS32
+@@ -3194,6 +3197,8 @@ construct_command_argv_internal (char *line, char **restp, char *shell,
+       fatal (NILF, _("%s (line %d) Bad shell context (!unixy && !batch_mode_shell)\n"),
+             __FILE__, __LINE__);
+ #endif
++
++    free (new_line);
+   }
+ #endif	/* ! AMIGA */
+ 
+-- 
+1.7.12
+
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/memory-corruption.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/memory-corruption.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b28c07353ec2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/memory-corruption.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+--- function.c	2011/04/18 01:25:20	1.121
++++ function.c	2011/05/02 12:35:01	1.122
+@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@
+   const char *word_iterator = argv[0];
+   char buf[20];
+ 
+-  while (find_next_token (&word_iterator, (unsigned int *) 0) != 0)
++  while (find_next_token (&word_iterator, NULL) != 0)
+     ++i;
+ 
+   sprintf (buf, "%d", i);
+@@ -1133,21 +1133,14 @@
+ 
+   /* Find the maximum number of words we'll have.  */
+   t = argv[0];
+-  wordi = 1;
+-  while (*t != '\0')
++  wordi = 0;
++  while ((p = find_next_token (&t, NULL)) != 0)
+     {
+-      char c = *(t++);
+-
+-      if (! isspace ((unsigned char)c))
+-        continue;
+-
++      ++t;
+       ++wordi;
+-
+-      while (isspace ((unsigned char)*t))
+-        ++t;
+     }
+ 
+-  words = xmalloc (wordi * sizeof (char *));
++  words = xmalloc ((wordi == 0 ? 1 : wordi) * sizeof (char *));
+ 
+   /* Now assign pointers to each string in the array.  */
+   t = argv[0];
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/oneshell.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/oneshell.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fbade127ce61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/oneshell.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+fix from upstream cvs
+
+----------------------------
+revision 1.245
+date: 2010-08-13 22:50:14 -0400;  author: psmith;  state: Exp;  lines: +1 -1;  commitid: 4UaslPqQHZTs5wKu;
+- Add oneshell to $(.FEATURES) (forgot that!)
+
+Index: main.c
+===================================================================
+RCS file: /sources/make/make/main.c,v
+retrieving revision 1.244
+retrieving revision 1.245
+diff -u -p -r1.244 -r1.245
+--- main.c	10 Aug 2010 07:35:34 -0000	1.244
++++ main.c	14 Aug 2010 02:50:14 -0000	1.245
+@@ -1138,7 +1138,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp
+      a macro and some compilers (MSVC) don't like conditionals in macros.  */
+   {
+     const char *features = "target-specific order-only second-expansion"
+-                           " else-if shortest-stem undefine"
++                           " else-if shortest-stem undefine oneshell"
+ #ifndef NO_ARCHIVES
+                            " archives"
+ #endif
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/parallel-remake.patch b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/parallel-remake.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a19fe7b7d629
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/gnumake/parallel-remake.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+fix from upstream cvs
+
+----------------------------
+revision 1.247
+date: 2011-09-18 19:39:26 -0400;  author: psmith;  state: Exp;  lines: +5 -3;  commitid: 07NxO4T5PiWC82Av;
+When we re-exec the master makefile in a jobserver environment, ensure
+that MAKEFLAGS is set properly so the re-exec'd make runs in parallel.
+See Savannah bug #33873.
+
+Index: main.c
+===================================================================
+RCS file: /sources/make/make/main.c,v
+retrieving revision 1.246
+retrieving revision 1.247
+diff -u -p -r1.246 -r1.247
+--- main.c	29 Aug 2010 23:05:27 -0000	1.246
++++ main.c	18 Sep 2011 23:39:26 -0000	1.247
+@@ -2089,6 +2089,11 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp
+ 
+           ++restarts;
+ 
++          /* If we're re-exec'ing the first make, put back the number of
++             job slots so define_makefiles() will get it right.  */
++          if (master_job_slots)
++            job_slots = master_job_slots;
++
+           /* Reset makeflags in case they were changed.  */
+           {
+             const char *pv = define_makeflags (1, 1);
+@@ -2825,9 +2830,6 @@ define_makeflags (int all, int makefile)
+ 		       && (*(unsigned int *) cs->value_ptr ==
+ 			   *(unsigned int *) cs->noarg_value))
+ 		ADD_FLAG ("", 0); /* Optional value omitted; see below.  */
+-	      else if (cs->c == 'j')
+-		/* Special case for `-j'.  */
+-		ADD_FLAG ("1", 1);
+ 	      else
+ 		{
+ 		  char *buf = alloca (30);