diff --git a/pkgs/tools/package-management/checkinstall/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/package-management/checkinstall/default.nix
index aa935076eb98..a2b9c11eb09d 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/package-management/checkinstall/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/package-management/checkinstall/default.nix
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
     # Fix a `conflicting types for 'scandir'' error on Glibc 2.11.
     ./scandir.patch
+
+    # Force use of old memcpy so that installwatch works on Glibc <
+    # 2.14.
+    ./use-old-memcpy.patch
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [gettext];
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/package-management/checkinstall/use-old-memcpy.patch b/pkgs/tools/package-management/checkinstall/use-old-memcpy.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c8be7f0b5e26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/package-management/checkinstall/use-old-memcpy.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+diff -ru -x '*~' checkinstall-1.6.2-orig/installwatch/installwatch.c checkinstall-1.6.2/installwatch/installwatch.c
+--- checkinstall-1.6.2-orig/installwatch/installwatch.c	2008-11-16 17:20:53.000000000 +0100
++++ checkinstall-1.6.2/installwatch/installwatch.c	2013-03-15 13:50:12.717646381 +0100
+@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
+  *                                  <mail@fredemmott.co.uk>
+  */
+ 
++asm (".symver memcpy, memcpy@GLIBC_2.2.5");
++
+ #include <sys/param.h>
+ #include <sys/types.h>
+ #include <sys/stat.h>