diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyenchant/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyenchant/default.nix
index cd645a8d89b..f144cf55552 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyenchant/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pyenchant/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 { stdenv
 , buildPythonPackage
 , fetchPypi
-, pkgs
+, enchant2
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
@@ -13,15 +13,21 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     sha256 = "fc31cda72ace001da8fe5d42f11c26e514a91fa8c70468739216ddd8de64e2a0";
   };
 
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [ pkgs.enchant1 ];
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [ enchant2 ];
 
-  patchPhase = let
-    path_hack_script = "s|LoadLibrary(e_path)|LoadLibrary('${pkgs.enchant1}/lib/' + e_path)|";
+  postPatch = let
+    libext = stdenv.hostPlatform.extensions.sharedLibrary;
   in ''
-    sed -i "${path_hack_script}" enchant/_enchant.py
-
-    # They hardcode a bad path for Darwin in their library search code
-    substituteInPlace enchant/_enchant.py --replace '/opt/local/lib/' ""
+    # Use the $PYENCHANT_LIBRARY_PATH envvar lookup line to hard-code the
+    # location of the nix enchant-2 library into _enchant.py.
+    #
+    # Also, they hardcode a bad path for Darwin in their library search code;
+    # This code should never be hit, but in case it does, we don't want to have
+    # it "accidentally" work by pulling something from /opt.
+    substituteInPlace enchant/_enchant.py                  \
+      --replace 'os.environ.get("PYENCHANT_LIBRARY_PATH")' \
+                "'${enchant2}/lib/libenchant-2${libext}'"  \
+      --replace '/opt/local/lib/' ""
   '';
 
   # dictionaries needed for tests
@@ -31,7 +37,6 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     description = "pyenchant: Python bindings for the Enchant spellchecker";
     homepage = https://github.com/pyenchant/pyenchant;
     license = licenses.lgpl21;
-    badPlatforms = [ "x86_64-darwin" ];
   };
 
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index 3a93212d0c1..596c397505f 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -4845,7 +4845,7 @@ in {
 
   pyelftools = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pyelftools { };
 
-  pyenchant = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pyenchant { };
+  pyenchant = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pyenchant { enchant2 = pkgs.enchant2; };
 
   pyexcelerator = callPackage ../development/python-modules/pyexcelerator { };