diff --git a/pkgs/development/embedded/avrdude/default.nix b/pkgs/development/embedded/avrdude/default.nix
index f03efa1dc820..b3d6d25f4502 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/embedded/avrdude/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/embedded/avrdude/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, fetchFromGitHub, cmake, bison, flex, libusb1, libelf
+{ lib, callPackage, stdenv, fetchFromGitHub, cmake, bison, flex, libusb1, elfutils
 , libftdi1, readline, hidapi, libserialport
 # Documentation building doesn't work on Darwin. It fails with:
 #   Undefined subroutine &Locale::Messages::dgettext called in ... texi2html
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 # https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/224761
 , docSupport ? (!stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin), texliveMedium, texinfo, texi2html, unixtools }:
 
+let
+  useElfutils = lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform elfutils;
+in
+
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "avrdude";
   version = "7.3";
@@ -24,7 +28,19 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     texi2html
   ];
 
-  buildInputs = [ hidapi libusb1 libelf libftdi1 libserialport readline ];
+  buildInputs = [
+    (if useElfutils then elfutils else finalAttrs.finalPackage.passthru.libelf)
+    hidapi
+    libusb1
+    libftdi1
+    libserialport
+    readline
+  ];
+
+  postPatch = lib.optionalString (!useElfutils) ''
+    # vendored libelf is a static library
+    sed -i "s/PREFERRED_LIBELF elf/PREFERRED_LIBELF libelf.a elf/" CMakeLists.txt
+  '';
 
   # Not used:
   #
@@ -39,6 +55,12 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     rm $out/share/doc/${pname}/*.ps
   '';
 
+  passthru = {
+    # Vendored and mutated copy of libelf for avrdudes use.
+    # Produces a static library only.
+    libelf = callPackage ./libelf.nix { };
+  };
+
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "Command-line tool for programming Atmel AVR microcontrollers";
     mainProgram = "avrdude";
diff --git a/pkgs/development/embedded/avrdude/libelf.nix b/pkgs/development/embedded/avrdude/libelf.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bd7b7be7066a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/embedded/avrdude/libelf.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+{
+  lib,
+  stdenv,
+  cmake,
+  fetchFromGitHub,
+}:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  pname = "libelf";
+  version = "0.8.13-unstable-2023-01-14";
+
+  src = fetchFromGitHub {
+    owner = "avrdudes";
+    repo = "libelf";
+    rev = "0c55bfe1d3020a20bddf6ce57c0d9d98ccb12586";
+    hash = "sha256-jz7Ef0Eg673IJVZvVNklY40s13LCuMVAc7FGrRI7scQ=";
+  };
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ cmake ];
+
+  installPhase = ''
+    runHook preInstall
+    mkdir -p $out/lib
+    cp liblibelf.a $out/lib/libelf.a
+    cp -r $src/include $out/include
+    runHook postInstall
+  '';
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "ELF object file access library (vendored by avrdudes)";
+    homepage = "https://github.com/avrdudes/libelf";
+    license = lib.licenses.lgpl2Plus;
+    platforms = lib.platforms.all;
+    maintainers = [ lib.maintainers.bjornfor ];
+  };
+}