diff --git a/pkgs/applications/version-management/git-and-tools/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/version-management/git-and-tools/default.nix
index c9bc06ec2e6..dd12c1f77be 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/version-management/git-and-tools/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/version-management/git-and-tools/default.nix
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ in
 rec {
 
   git = lib.makeOverridable (import ./git) {
-    inherit fetchurl stdenv curl openssl zlib expat perl python gettext
+    inherit fetchurl stdenv curl openssl zlib expat perl python gettext gnugrep
       asciidoc texinfo xmlto docbook2x
       docbook_xsl docbook_xml_dtd_45 libxslt
       cpio tcl tk makeWrapper subversion;
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/version-management/git-and-tools/git/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/version-management/git-and-tools/git/default.nix
index 116b6ff5231..38d7bd7ad90 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/version-management/git-and-tools/git/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/version-management/git-and-tools/git/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ fetchurl, stdenv, curl, openssl, zlib, expat, perl, python, gettext, cpio
+{ fetchurl, stdenv, curl, openssl, zlib, expat, perl, python, gettext, cpio, gnugrep
 , asciidoc, texinfo, xmlto, docbook2x, docbook_xsl, docbook_xml_dtd_45
 , libxslt, tcl, tk, makeWrapper
 , svnSupport, subversion, perlLibs, smtpPerlLibs
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
       echo "installing Emacs mode..."
       ensureDir $out/share/emacs/site-lisp
       cp -p contrib/emacs/*.el $out/share/emacs/site-lisp
+
+      # grep is a runtime dependence, need to patch so that it's found
+      substituteInPlace $out/libexec/git-core/git-sh-setup \
+          --replace ' grep' ' ${gnugrep}/bin/grep' \
+          --replace ' egrep' ' ${gnugrep}/bin/egrep'
     '' # */
 
    + (if svnSupport then