diff --git a/pkgs/tools/graphics/plotutils/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/graphics/plotutils/default.nix
index 87866244cd7..e7263fcf11e 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/graphics/plotutils/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/graphics/plotutils/default.nix
@@ -1,19 +1,15 @@
-args: with args;
+{ fetchurl, stdenv, libpng }:
 
 # debian splits this package into plotutils and libplot2c2
 
 # gentoo passes X, this package contains fonts
 # I'm only interested in making pstoedit convert to svg
 
-let name = "plotutils-2.6";
-in
-
-stdenv.mkDerivation {
-
-  inherit name;
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  name = "plotutils-2.6";
 
   src = fetchurl {
-    url = "http://mirrors.zerg.biz/gnu/plotutils/${name}.tar.gz";
+    url = "mirror://gnu/plotutils/${name}.tar.gz";
     sha256 = "1arkyizn5wbgvbh53aziv3s6lmd3wm9lqzkhxb3hijlp1y124hjg";
   };
 
@@ -21,11 +17,34 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
   configureFlags = "--enable-libplotter"; # required for pstoedit
 
-  meta = { 
-    description = "a powerful C/C++ function library for exporting 2-D vector graphics";
+  doCheck = true;
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "GNU Plotutils, a powerful C/C++ library for exporting 2D vector graphics";
+
+    longDescription =
+      '' The GNU plotutils package contains software for both programmers and
+         technical users.  Its centerpiece is libplot, a powerful C/C++
+         function library for exporting 2-D vector graphics in many file
+         formats, both vector and raster.  It can also do vector graphics
+         animations.
+
+         libplot is device-independent in the sense that its API (application
+         programming interface) does not depend on the type of graphics file
+         to be exported.
+
+         Besides libplot, the package contains command-line programs for
+         plotting scientific data.  Many of them use libplot to export
+         graphics.
+      '';
+
     homepage = http://www.gnu.org/software/plotutils/;
-    license = "GPLv2";
-    maintainers = [args.lib.maintainers.marcweber];
-    platforms = args.lib.platforms.linux;
+
+    license = "GPLv2+";
+    maintainers = [
+      stdenv.lib.maintainers.marcweber
+      stdenv.lib.maintainers.ludo
+    ];
+    platforms = stdenv.lib.platforms.gnu;
   };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 753bba34db7..e3fa8377103 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -1311,7 +1311,7 @@ let
   };
 
   plotutils = import ../tools/graphics/plotutils {
-    inherit fetchurl stdenv lib libpng;
+    inherit fetchurl stdenv libpng;
   };
 
   povray = import ../tools/graphics/povray {