diff --git a/pkgs/tools/inputmethods/m17n-lib/otf.nix b/pkgs/tools/inputmethods/m17n-lib/otf.nix
index f4d276e0a61d..fbf1009ea700 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/inputmethods/m17n-lib/otf.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/inputmethods/m17n-lib/otf.nix
@@ -1,21 +1,46 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, fetchurl, libXaw, freetype }:
+{ lib, stdenv, fetchurl, fetchpatch, pkg-config, autoreconfHook, libXaw, freetype }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
-  name = "libotf-0.9.16";
+  pname = "libotf";
+  version = "0.9.16";
 
   src = fetchurl {
-    url = "https://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/m17n/${name}.tar.gz";
+    url = "https://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/m17n/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
     sha256 = "0sq6g3xaxw388akws6qrllp3kp2sxgk2dv4j79k6mm52rnihrnv8";
   };
 
-  outputs = [ "out" "dev" ];
+  patches = [
+    # https://salsa.debian.org/debian/libotf/-/tree/master/debian/patches
+    # Fix cross-compilation
+    (fetchpatch {
+      url = "https://salsa.debian.org/debian/libotf/-/raw/1be04cedf887720eb8f5efb3594dc2cefd96b1f1/debian/patches/0002-use-pkg-config-not-freetype-config.patch";
+      sha256 = "sha256-VV9iGoNWIEie6UiLLTJBD+zxpvj0acgqkcBeAN1V6Kc=";
+    })
+    # these 2 are required by the above patch
+    (fetchpatch {
+      url = "https://salsa.debian.org/debian/libotf/-/raw/1be04cedf887720eb8f5efb3594dc2cefd96b1f1/debian/patches/0001-do-not-add-flags-for-required-packages-to-pc-file.patch";
+      sha256 = "sha256-3kzqNPAHNVJQ1F4fyifq3AqLdChWli/k7wOq+ha+iDs=";
+    })
+    (fetchpatch {
+      url = "https://salsa.debian.org/debian/libotf/-/raw/1be04cedf887720eb8f5efb3594dc2cefd96b1f1/debian/patches/0001-libotf-config-modify-to-support-multi-arch.patch";
+      sha256 = "sha256-SUlI87h+MtYWWtrAegzAnSds8JhxZwTJltDcj/se/Qc=";
+    })
+  ];
+
+  strictDeps = true;
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ pkg-config autoreconfHook ];
 
   buildInputs = [ libXaw freetype ];
 
+  outputs = [ "out" "dev" ];
+
   postInstall =
     ''
       mkdir -p $dev/bin
       mv $out/bin/libotf-config $dev/bin/
+      substituteInPlace $dev/bin/libotf-config \
+        --replace "pkg-config" "${pkg-config}/bin/pkg-config"
     '';
 
   meta = {