diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/numpy/no_default_dirs.patch b/pkgs/development/python-modules/numpy/no_default_dirs.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8e1f58974f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/numpy/no_default_dirs.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+diff -ur numpy-1.6.1-orig/numpy/distutils/system_info.py numpy-1.6.1/numpy/distutils/system_info.py
+--- numpy-1.6.1-orig/numpy/distutils/system_info.py	2011-07-01 17:31:13.000000000 -0400
++++ numpy-1.6.1/numpy/distutils/system_info.py	2012-04-27 14:10:38.000000000 -0400
+@@ -189,18 +189,12 @@
+     default_x11_lib_dirs = []
+     default_x11_include_dirs = []
+ else:
+-    default_lib_dirs = libpaths(['/usr/local/lib','/opt/lib','/usr/lib',
+-                                 '/opt/local/lib','/sw/lib'], platform_bits)
+-    default_include_dirs = ['/usr/local/include',
+-                            '/opt/include', '/usr/include',
+-                            '/opt/local/include', '/sw/include',
+-                            '/usr/include/suitesparse']
+-    default_src_dirs = ['.','/usr/local/src', '/opt/src','/sw/src']
+-
+-    default_x11_lib_dirs = libpaths(['/usr/X11R6/lib','/usr/X11/lib',
+-                                     '/usr/lib'], platform_bits)
+-    default_x11_include_dirs = ['/usr/X11R6/include','/usr/X11/include',
+-                                '/usr/include']
++    default_lib_dirs = []
++    default_include_dirs = []
++    default_src_dirs = ['.']
++
++    default_x11_lib_dirs = []
++    default_x11_include_dirs = []
+ 
+ if os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'lib') not in default_lib_dirs:
+     default_lib_dirs.insert(0,os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'lib'))
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index 002fc8daff1..3c9f6bef92e 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -1081,9 +1081,10 @@ let pythonPackages = python.modules // rec {
       sha256 = "1pawfmf7j7pd3mjzhmmw9hkglc2qdirrkvv29m5nsmpf2b3ip2vq";
     };
 
-    # TODO: add ATLAS=${pkgs.atlas}
+    patches = [ ../development/python-modules/numpy/no_default_dirs.patch ];
+
     installCommand = ''
-      export BLAS=${pkgs.blas} LAPACK=${pkgs.liblapack}
+      export BLAS=${pkgs.blas} LAPACK=${pkgs.liblapack} ATLAS=${pkgs.atlas}
       python setup.py build --fcompiler="gnu95"
       python setup.py install --prefix=$out
     '';