diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/octave/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/octave/default.nix
index 3233baea8f4..ab1dc4b5fe1 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/octave/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/octave/default.nix
@@ -41,9 +41,15 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     ++ (stdenv.lib.optionals (!stdenv.isDarwin) [ mesa libX11 ])
     ;
 
+  # makeinfo is required by Octave at runtime to display help
+  prePatch = ''
+    substituteInPlace libinterp/corefcn/help.cc \
+      --replace 'Vmakeinfo_program = "makeinfo"' \
+                'Vmakeinfo_program = "${texinfo}/bin/makeinfo"'
+  ''
   # REMOVE ON VERSION BUMP
   # Needed for Octave-4.2.1 on darwin. See https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?50234
-  prePatch = stdenv.lib.optionalString stdenv.isDarwin ''
+  + stdenv.lib.optionalString stdenv.isDarwin ''
     sed 's/inline file_stat::~file_stat () { }/file_stat::~file_stat () { }/' -i ./liboctave/system/file-stat.cc
   '';