diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/HTSeq/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/HTSeq/default.nix
index abb0c8520dd..83263f734bd 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/HTSeq/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/HTSeq/default.nix
@@ -1,18 +1,26 @@
-{ stdenv, buildPythonPackage, fetchPypi, cython, numpy, pysam, matplotlib
-}:
+{ stdenv, buildPythonPackage, fetchFromGitHub, cython, numpy, pysam, matplotlib, python, isPy27, isPy3k }:
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   version = "0.12.4";
   pname = "HTSeq";
 
-  src = fetchPypi {
-    inherit pname version;
-    sha256 = "e3980bb4f12899442b4fa6f24f0ba149090f71cedb1eaf7128249afe4eb921ff";
+  src = fetchFromGitHub {
+    owner = "htseq";
+    repo = "htseq";
+    rev = "release_${version}";
+    sha256 = "0y7vh249sljqjnv81060w4xkdx6f1y5zdqkh38yk926x6v9riijm";
   };
 
-  buildInputs = [ cython numpy pysam ];
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ cython ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ numpy pysam matplotlib ];
 
+  checkPhase = stdenv.lib.optionalString isPy27 ''
+    ${python.interpreter} python2/test/test_general.py
+  '' + stdenv.lib.optionalString isPy3k ''
+    ${python.interpreter} python3/test/test_general.py
+  '';
+
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
+    homepage = "https://htseq.readthedocs.io/";
     description = "A framework to work with high-throughput sequencing data";
     maintainers = with maintainers; [ unode ];
     platforms = platforms.unix;