diff --git a/pkgs/applications/graphics/gimp/plugins/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/graphics/gimp/plugins/default.nix
index 234249e8562..d1a084761e7 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/graphics/gimp/plugins/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/graphics/gimp/plugins/default.nix
@@ -146,10 +146,9 @@ rec {
   gmic =
   let
     imagemagick = pkgs.imagemagickBig; # maybe the non big version is enough?
-    fftw = pkgs.fftw.override {pthreads = true;};
   in pluginDerivation rec {
       name = "gmic-1.5.7.2";
-      buildInputs = [imagemagick pkgconfig fftw gimp] ++ gimp.nativeBuildInputs;
+      buildInputs = [imagemagick pkgconfig pkgs.fftw gimp] ++ gimp.nativeBuildInputs;
       src = fetchurl {
         url = mirror://sourceforge/gmic/gmic_1.5.7.2.tar.gz;
         sha256 = "1cpbxb3p2c8bcv2cbr150whapzjc7w09i3jza0z9x3xj8c0vdyv1";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/fftw/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/fftw/default.nix
index e096c5fa94f..97043f11f50 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/fftw/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/fftw/default.nix
@@ -1,30 +1,32 @@
-{fetchurl, stdenv, builderDefs, stringsWithDeps, singlePrecision ? false, pthreads ? false, float ? false}:
+{ fetchurl, stdenv, builderDefs, precision ? "double" }:
+
+assert stdenv.lib.elem precision [ "single" "double" "long-double" "quad-precision" ];
+
+with { inherit (stdenv.lib) optional; };
+
 let
-  version = "3.3.2";
-  localDefs = builderDefs.passthru.function { 
-  src = 
-    fetchurl {
-      url = "ftp://ftp.fftw.org/pub/fftw/fftw-${version}.tar.gz";
-      sha256 = "b1236a780ca6e66fc5f8eda6ef0665d680e8253d9f01d7bf211b714a50032d01";
-    };
-  buildInputs = [];
-  configureFlags = ["--enable-shared"]
-                        # some distros seem to be shipping both versions within the same package?
-                        # why does --enable-float still result in ..3f.so instead of ..3.so?
-                   ++ (if singlePrecision then [ "--enable-single" ] else [ ])
-                   ++ (if float then [ "--enable-float" ] else [ ])
-		   ++ (stdenv.lib.optional (!pthreads) "--enable-openmp")
-		   ++ (stdenv.lib.optional pthreads "--enable-threads")
-                        # I think all i686 has sse
-                   ++ (if (stdenv.isi686 || stdenv.isx86_64) && singlePrecision then [ "--enable-sse" ] else [ ])
-                        # I think all x86_64 has sse2
-                   ++ (if stdenv.isx86_64 && ! singlePrecision then [ "--enable-sse2" ] else [ ]);
-                
+  version = "3.3.3";
+  localDefs = builderDefs.passthru.function {
+    src =
+      fetchurl {
+        url = "ftp://ftp.fftw.org/pub/fftw/fftw-${version}.tar.gz";
+        sha256 = "1wwp9b2va7vkq3ay7a9jk22nr4x5q6m37rzqy2j8y3d11c5grkc5";
+      };
+    buildInputs = [];
+    configureFlags = [
+        "--enable-shared" "--disable-static"
+        "--enable-threads" "--enable-openmp" # very small wrappers
+      ]
+      ++ optional (precision != "double") "--enable-${precision}"
+      # all x86_64 have sse2
+      ++ optional stdenv.isx86_64 "--enable-sse2";
   };
+
 in with localDefs;
-stdenv.mkDerivation {
-  name = "fftw-3.3.2" + ( if singlePrecision then "-single" else "-double" );
-  builder = writeScript "fftw-3.3.2-builder"
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  name = "fftw-${precision}-${version}";
+  builder = writeScript "${name}-builder"
     (textClosure localDefs [doConfigure doMakeInstall doForceShare]);
   meta = {
     description = "Fastest Fourier Transform in the West library";
@@ -34,3 +36,4 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     inherit src;
   };
 }
+
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 5695e11e0fa..c1181e70c2b 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -2867,8 +2867,6 @@ let
   julia = callPackage ../development/compilers/julia {
     liblapack = liblapack.override {shared = true;};
     mpfr = mpfr_3_1_2;
-    fftw = fftw.override {pthreads = true;};
-    fftwSinglePrec = fftwSinglePrec.override {pthreads = true;};
   };
 
   lazarus = builderDefsPackage (import ../development/compilers/fpc/lazarus.nix) {
@@ -4169,17 +4167,9 @@ let
 
   ffms = callPackage ../development/libraries/ffms { };
 
-  fftw = callPackage ../development/libraries/fftw {
-    singlePrecision = false;
-  };
-
-  fftwFloat = callPackage ../development/libraries/fftw {
-    float = true;
-  };
-
-  fftwSinglePrec = callPackage ../development/libraries/fftw {
-    singlePrecision = true;
-  };
+  fftw = callPackage ../development/libraries/fftw { };
+  fftwSinglePrec = fftw.override { precision = "single"; };
+  fftwFloat = fftwSinglePrec; # the configure option is just an alias
 
   flann = callPackage ../development/libraries/flann { };
 
@@ -8748,7 +8738,7 @@ let
   ratpoison = callPackage ../applications/window-managers/ratpoison { };
 
   rawtherapee = callPackage ../applications/graphics/rawtherapee {
-    fftw = fftw.override {float = true;};
+    fftw = fftwSinglePrec;
   };
 
   rcs = callPackage ../applications/version-management/rcs { };
@@ -8840,9 +8830,7 @@ let
     libpng = libpng12;
   };
 
-  smartdeblur = callPackage ../applications/graphics/smartdeblur {
-    fftw = fftw.override {pthreads = true;};
-  };
+  smartdeblur = callPackage ../applications/graphics/smartdeblur { };
 
   sndBase = lowPrio (builderDefsPackage (import ../applications/audio/snd) {
     inherit fetchurl stdenv stringsWithDeps lib fftw;