diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/default.nix
index 7e3d11528a4f..2211f2d0d99f 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/default.nix
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
-{ fetchurl, lib, stdenv }:
+{ fetchurl, fetchpatch, lib, stdenv }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "gsl";
-  version = "2.7.1";
+  version = "2.8";
 
   outputs = [ "out" "dev" ];
 
   src = fetchurl {
     url = "mirror://gnu/gsl/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
-    sha256 = "sha256-3LD71DBIgyt1f/mUJpGo3XACbV2g/4VgHlJof23us0s=";
+    hash = "sha256-apnu7RVjLGNUiVsd1ULtWoVcDxXZrRMmxv4rLJ5CMZA=";
   };
 
+  patches = [
+    (fetchpatch {
+      url = "https://github.com/macports/macports-ports/raw/90be777d2ce451d3c23783cb2be0efab9732e4d0/math/gsl/files/patch-fix-linking.diff";
+      extraPrefix = "";
+      hash = "sha256-lweYndIxcM5+4ckIUubkD9XbJbqkfdK+y9c3aRzmq0M=";
+    })
+  ];
+
   preConfigure = if (lib.versionAtLeast stdenv.hostPlatform.darwinMinVersion "11" && stdenv.isDarwin) then ''
     MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=10.16
   '' else null;
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pygsl/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pygsl/default.nix
index c8e247f7d2d9..7726badc8197 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pygsl/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pygsl/default.nix
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     hash = "sha256-7agGgfDUgY6mRry7d38vGGNLJC4dFUniy2M/cnejDDs=";
   };
 
+  # error: no member named 'n' in 'gsl_bspline_workspace'
+  postPatch = lib.optionalString (lib.versionAtLeast gsl.version "2.8") ''
+    substituteInPlace src/bspline/bspline.ic \
+      --replace-fail "self->w->n" "self->w->ncontrol"
+    substituteInPlace swig_src/bspline_wrap.c \
+      --replace-fail "self->w->n;" "self->w->ncontrol;"
+  '';
+
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     gsl.dev
     swig