diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/2.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/2.nix
index 2c929d9a694..a6ee1a3bade 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/2.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/2.nix
@@ -1,24 +1,16 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, fetchPypi, python, buildPythonPackage, pycairo, backports_functools_lru_cache
+{ lib, stdenv, fetchPypi, writeText, python, buildPythonPackage, pycairo, backports_functools_lru_cache
 , which, cycler, dateutil, nose, numpy, pyparsing, sphinx, tornado, kiwisolver
 , freetype, libpng, pkg-config, mock, pytz, pygobject3, gobject-introspection, functools32, subprocess32
 , fetchpatch
-, enableGhostscript ? false, ghostscript ? null, gtk3
+, enableGhostscript ? false, ghostscript, gtk3
 , enableGtk3 ? false, cairo
 # darwin has its own "MacOSX" backend
-, enableTk ? !stdenv.isDarwin, tcl ? null, tk ? null, tkinter ? null, libX11 ? null
+, enableTk ? !stdenv.isDarwin, tcl, tk, tkinter, libX11
 , enableQt ? false, pyqt4
 , Cocoa
 , pythonOlder
 }:
 
-assert enableGhostscript -> ghostscript != null;
-assert enableTk -> (tcl != null)
-                && (tk != null)
-                && (tkinter != null)
-                && (libX11 != null)
-                ;
-assert enableQt -> pyqt4 != null;
-
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   version = "2.2.3";
   pname = "matplotlib";
@@ -54,7 +46,10 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     ++ lib.optionals enableQt [ pyqt4 ]
     ++ lib.optionals python.isPy2 [ functools32 subprocess32 ];
 
-  setup_cfg = ./setup.cfg;
+  passthru.config = {
+    directories = { basedirlist = "."; };
+  };
+  setup_cfg = writeText "setup.cfg" (lib.generators.toINI {} passthru.config);
   preBuild = ''
     cp "$setup_cfg" ./setup.cfg
   '';
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/default.nix
index 4be4189f8c7..7364920cba2 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/default.nix
@@ -1,33 +1,25 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, fetchPypi, python, buildPythonPackage, isPy3k, pycairo, backports_functools_lru_cache
+{ lib, stdenv, fetchPypi, writeText, python, buildPythonPackage, isPy3k, pycairo, backports_functools_lru_cache
 , which, cycler, dateutil, nose, numpy, pyparsing, sphinx, tornado, kiwisolver
-, freetype, libpng, pkg-config, mock, pytz, pygobject3, gobject-introspection
+, freetype, qhull, libpng, pkg-config, mock, pytz, pygobject3, gobject-introspection
 , certifi, pillow
-, enableGhostscript ? true, ghostscript ? null, gtk3
+, enableGhostscript ? true, ghostscript, gtk3
 , enableGtk3 ? false, cairo
 # darwin has its own "MacOSX" backend
-, enableTk ? !stdenv.isDarwin, tcl ? null, tk ? null, tkinter ? null, libX11 ? null
-, enableQt ? false, pyqt5 ? null
+, enableTk ? !stdenv.isDarwin, tcl, tk, tkinter, libX11
+, enableQt ? false, pyqt5
 , Cocoa
 , pythonOlder
 }:
 
-assert enableGhostscript -> ghostscript != null;
-assert enableTk -> (tcl != null)
-                && (tk != null)
-                && (tkinter != null)
-                && (libX11 != null)
-                ;
-assert enableQt -> pyqt5 != null;
-
 buildPythonPackage rec {
-  version = "3.3.4";
+  version = "3.4.1";
   pname = "matplotlib";
 
   disabled = !isPy3k;
 
   src = fetchPypi {
     inherit pname version;
-    sha256 = "3e477db76c22929e4c6876c44f88d790aacdf3c3f8f3a90cb1975c0bf37825b0";
+    sha256 = "84d4c4f650f356678a5d658a43ca21a41fca13f9b8b00169c0b76e6a6a948908";
   };
 
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR = "/tmp";
@@ -39,13 +31,23 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     ++ lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin [ Cocoa ];
 
   propagatedBuildInputs =
-    [ cycler dateutil numpy pyparsing tornado freetype kiwisolver
-      certifi libpng mock pytz pillow ]
+    [ cycler dateutil numpy pyparsing tornado freetype qhull
+      kiwisolver certifi libpng mock pytz pillow ]
     ++ lib.optionals enableGtk3 [ cairo pycairo gtk3 gobject-introspection pygobject3 ]
     ++ lib.optionals enableTk [ tcl tk tkinter libX11 ]
     ++ lib.optionals enableQt [ pyqt5 ];
 
-  setup_cfg = if stdenv.isDarwin then ./setup-darwin.cfg else ./setup.cfg;
+  passthru.config = {
+    directories = { basedirlist = "."; };
+    libs = {
+      system_freetype = true;
+      system_qhull = true;
+    } // lib.optionalAttrs stdenv.isDarwin {
+      # LTO not working in darwin stdenv, see #19312
+      enable_lto = false;
+    };
+  };
+  setup_cfg = writeText "setup.cfg" (lib.generators.toINI {} passthru.config);
   preBuild = ''
     cp "$setup_cfg" ./setup.cfg
   '';
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/setup-darwin.cfg b/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/setup-darwin.cfg
deleted file mode 100644
index f6463d9c574..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/setup-darwin.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-[directories]
-basedirlist = .
-
-[libs]
-system_freetype = true
-# LTO not working in darwin stdenv, see #19312
-enable_lto = false
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/setup.cfg b/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/setup.cfg
deleted file mode 100644
index 6a773862765..00000000000
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/matplotlib/setup.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-[directories]
-basedirlist = .
-
-[libs]
-system_freetype = true