diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/libassuan/git.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/libassuan/git.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..743528d9265
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/libassuan/git.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+{ fetchgit, stdenv, pth, libgpgerror, autoconf, automake, libtool }:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  name = "libassuan-2.1pre-git20120407";
+
+  src = fetchgit {
+    url = "git://git.gnupg.org/libassuan.git";
+    rev = "5c00c7cc2901a879927a5756e1bb7ecf49439ebc";
+    sha256 = "14ebcc65930360a067eea8cfbdaa5418c909bd9dfb27fe366edf78ad6c1aa69f";
+  };
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [ pth libgpgerror ];
+  buildInputs = [ autoconf automake libtool ];
+
+  doCheck = true;
+
+  preConfigure = "autoreconf -v";
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "Libassuan, the IPC library used by GnuPG and related software";
+
+    longDescription = ''
+      Libassuan is a small library implementing the so-called Assuan
+      protocol.  This protocol is used for IPC between most newer
+      GnuPG components.  Both, server and client side functions are
+      provided.
+    '';
+
+    homepage = http://gnupg.org;
+    license = "LGPLv2+";
+    platforms = stdenv.lib.platforms.all;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 106bbe56981..bd0feb81537 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -3913,6 +3913,8 @@ let
 
   libassuan = callPackage ../development/libraries/libassuan { };
 
+  libassuan2_1 = callPackage ../development/libraries/libassuan/git.nix { };
+
   libav = callPackage ../development/libraries/libav { };
 
   libavc1394 = callPackage ../development/libraries/libavc1394 { };