diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/bin-mv.patch b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/bin-mv.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..45649977e566
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/bin-mv.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+diff -rc hdf5-1.8.5/configure hdf5-1.8.5-new/configure
+*** hdf5-1.8.5/configure	2010-06-04 20:26:04.000000000 +0200
+--- hdf5-1.8.5-new/configure	2010-08-02 10:30:26.000000000 +0200
+***************
+*** 30587,30598 ****
+    sed 's/#define /#define H5_/' <src/H5config.h |\
+      sed 's/#undef /#undef H5_/' >pubconf
+    if test ! -f src/H5pubconf.h; then
+!     /bin/mv -f pubconf src/H5pubconf.h
+    elif (diff pubconf src/H5pubconf.h >/dev/null); then
+      rm -f pubconf
+      echo "src/H5pubconf.h is unchanged"
+    else
+!     /bin/mv -f pubconf src/H5pubconf.h
+    fi
+    echo "Post process src/libhdf5.settings"
+    sed '/^#/d' < src/libhdf5.settings > libhdf5.settings.TMP
+--- 30587,30598 ----
+    sed 's/#define /#define H5_/' <src/H5config.h |\
+      sed 's/#undef /#undef H5_/' >pubconf
+    if test ! -f src/H5pubconf.h; then
+!     mv -f pubconf src/H5pubconf.h
+    elif (diff pubconf src/H5pubconf.h >/dev/null); then
+      rm -f pubconf
+      echo "src/H5pubconf.h is unchanged"
+    else
+!     mv -f pubconf src/H5pubconf.h
+    fi
+    echo "Post process src/libhdf5.settings"
+    sed '/^#/d' < src/libhdf5.settings > libhdf5.settings.TMP
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..74e123d99455
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/hdf5/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+
+{ stdenv
+, fetchurl
+}:
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  name = "hdf5";
+  src = fetchurl {
+    url = http://www.hdfgroup.org/ftp/HDF5/current/src/hdf5-1.8.5.tar.gz ;
+    sha256 = "0nykbpxg154akgp6va6fkab7kjvybbvpsr7n7i1l8xxmv3h3hbsa";  			
+  };
+  buildInputs = [] ;
+  
+  patches = [./bin-mv.patch];
+  
+  meta = {
+    description = "HDF5 is a data model, library, and file format for storing and managing data.";
+    longDescription = ''
+      It supports an unlimited variety of datatypes, and is designed for flexible and efficient 
+      I/O and for high volume and complex data. HDF5 is portable and is extensible, allowing 
+      applications to evolve in their use of HDF5. The HDF5 Technology suite includes tools and 
+      applications for managing, manipulating, viewing, and analyzing data in the HDF5 format.
+    '';
+    homepage = http://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/;
+    # license = "GPLv2";
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 7a1914ca0d72..bffa8f5d8d85 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -948,6 +948,10 @@ let
     inherit fetchurl stdenv;
   };
 
+  hdf5 = import ../tools/misc/hdf5 {
+    inherit fetchurl stdenv;
+  };
+
   hevea = import ../tools/typesetting/hevea {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv ocaml;
   };