diff --git a/pkgs/tools/misc/cowsay/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/misc/cowsay/default.nix
index 38a7c3f39867..5888e439a589 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/misc/cowsay/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/misc/cowsay/default.nix
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, perl, fetchFromGitHub, fetchpatch, makeWrapper, nix-update-script, testers }:
+{ lib, stdenv, perl, fetchFromGitHub, makeWrapper, nix-update-script, testers }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   pname = "cowsay";
-  version = "3.7.0";
+  version = "3.8.1";
 
   outputs = [ "out" "man" ];
 
@@ -10,18 +10,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     owner = "cowsay-org";
     repo = "cowsay";
     rev = "v${finalAttrs.version}";
-    hash = "sha256-t1grmCPQhRgwS64RjEwkK61F2qxxMBKuv0/DzBTnL3s=";
+    hash = "sha256-4y+k1CzgTFq48g9gCzPTHdQFf3zgGTBm6tZTEXb7uTU=";
   };
 
-  patches = [
-    # Install cowthink as a symlink, not a copy
-    # See https://github.com/cowsay-org/cowsay/pull/18
-    (fetchpatch {
-      url = "https://github.com/cowsay-org/cowsay/commit/9e129fa0933cf1837672c97f5ae5ad4a1a10ec11.patch";
-      hash = "sha256-zAYEUAM5MkyMONAl5BXj8hBHRalQVAOdpxgiM+Ewmlw=";
-    })
-  ];
-
   nativeBuildInputs = [ makeWrapper ];
   buildInputs = [ perl ];