diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/readline/readline6.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/readline/readline6.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d1534f29874
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/readline/readline6.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+{ fetchurl, stdenv, ncurses }:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  name = "readline-6.0";
+
+  src = fetchurl {
+    url = "mirror://gnu/readline/${name}.tar.gz";
+    sha256 = "1pn13j6f9376kwki69050x3zh62yb1w31l37rws5nwr5q02xk68i";
+  };
+
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [ncurses];
+  configureFlags = "--enable-shared --disable-static";
+  patches = stdenv.lib.optional stdenv.isDarwin ./shobj-darwin.patch;
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "GNU Readline, a library for interactive line editing";
+
+    longDescription = ''
+      The GNU Readline library provides a set of functions for use by
+      applications that allow users to edit command lines as they are
+      typed in.  Both Emacs and vi editing modes are available.  The
+      Readline library includes additional functions to maintain a
+      list of previously-entered command lines, to recall and perhaps
+      reedit those lines, and perform csh-like history expansion on
+      previous commands.
+
+      The history facilites are also placed into a separate library,
+      the History library, as part of the build process.  The History
+      library may be used without Readline in applications which
+      desire its capabilities.
+    '';
+
+    homepage = http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/readline/;
+
+    license = "GPLv3+";
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index aaed16b1342..519ab2c6c5d 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -3668,6 +3668,10 @@ let
     inherit fetchurl stdenv ncurses;
   };
 
+  readline6 = import ../development/libraries/readline/readline6.nix {
+    inherit fetchurl stdenv ncurses;
+  };
+
   # Also known as librdf, includes raptor and rasqal
   redland = import ../development/libraries/redland {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv openssl libxml2 pkgconfig perl postgresql sqlite