diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-packages.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-packages.nix
index a420c542556..bec845b815c 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-packages.nix
@@ -202,6 +202,12 @@ self:
       # missing OCaml
       utop = markBroken super.utop;
 
+      vdiff-magit =
+        (super.vdiff-magit.overrideAttrs (attrs: {
+          nativeBuildInputs =
+            (attrs.nativeBuildInputs or []) ++ [ external.git ];
+        }));
+
       # upstream issue: missing file header
       voca-builder = markBroken super.voca-builder;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-stable-packages.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-stable-packages.nix
index f3b77c708a7..61086b96230 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-stable-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-stable-packages.nix
@@ -194,6 +194,12 @@ self:
       # missing OCaml
       utop = markBroken super.utop;
 
+      vdiff-magit =
+        (super.vdiff-magit.overrideAttrs (attrs: {
+          nativeBuildInputs =
+            (attrs.nativeBuildInputs or []) ++ [ external.git ];
+        }));
+
       # upstream issue: missing file header
       voca-builder = markBroken super.voca-builder;