diff --git a/pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix b/pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix
index 092764a3d9d8..80112755e6df 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 { abiCompat ? null,
   stdenv, makeWrapper, fetchurl, fetchpatch, fetchFromGitLab, buildPackages,
   automake, autoconf, gettext, libiconv, libtool, intltool,
-  freetype, tradcpp, fontconfig, meson, ninja, ed,
+  freetype, tradcpp, fontconfig, meson, ninja, ed, fontforge,
   libGL, spice-protocol, zlib, libGLU, dbus, libunwind, libdrm,
   mesa, udev, bootstrap_cmds, bison, flex, clangStdenv, autoreconfHook,
   mcpp, epoxy, openssl, pkgconfig, llvm_6, python3,
@@ -50,10 +50,6 @@ self: super:
     hardeningDisable = [ "format" ];
   });
 
-  fontbhttf = super.fontbhttf.overrideAttrs (attrs: {
-    meta = attrs.meta // { license = lib.licenses.unfreeRedistributable; };
-  });
-
   fontmiscmisc = super.fontmiscmisc.overrideAttrs (attrs: {
     postInstall =
       ''
@@ -848,4 +844,63 @@ self: super:
         --set XAPPLRESDIR ${placeholder "out"}/share/X11/app-defaults
     '';
   });
+
+  # convert Type1 vector fonts to OpenType fonts
+  fontbitstreamtype1 = super.fontbitstreamtype1.overrideAttrs (attrs: {
+    nativeBuildInputs = attrs.nativeBuildInputs ++ [ fontforge ];
+
+    postBuild = ''
+      # convert Postscript (Type 1) font to otf
+      for i in $(find -type f -name '*.pfa' -o -name '*.pfb'); do
+          name=$(basename $i | cut -d. -f1)
+          fontforge -lang=ff -c "Open(\"$i\"); Generate(\"$name.otf\")"
+      done
+    '';
+
+    postInstall = ''
+      # install the otf fonts
+      fontDir="$out/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
+      install -D -m 644 -t "$fontDir" *.otf
+      mkfontscale "$fontDir"
+    '';
+  });
+
 }
+
+# mark some packages as unfree
+// (
+  let
+    # unfree but redistributable
+    redist = [
+      "fontadobeutopiatype1"
+      "fontadobeutopia100dpi"
+      "fontadobeutopia75dpi"
+      "fontbhtype1"
+      "fontibmtype1"
+      "fontbhttf"
+      "fontbh100dpi"
+      "fontbh75dpi"
+    ];
+
+    # unfree, possibly not redistributable
+    unfree = [
+      # no license, just a copyright notice
+      "fontbhlucidatypewriter100dpi"
+      "fontbhlucidatypewriter75dpi"
+      "fontdaewoomisc"
+
+      # unclear license, "permission to use"?
+      "fontjismisc"
+    ];
+
+    setLicense = license: name:
+      super.${name}.overrideAttrs (attrs: {
+        meta = attrs.meta // { inherit license; };
+      });
+    mapNamesToAttrs = f: names: with lib;
+      listToAttrs (zipListsWith nameValuePair names (map f names));
+
+  in
+    mapNamesToAttrs (setLicense lib.licenses.unfreeRedistributable) redist //
+    mapNamesToAttrs (setLicense lib.licenses.unfree) unfree
+)