diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/vp/vp/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/vp/vp/package.nix
index 59c1a6cb3bc6..32db057dc31b 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/vp/vp/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/vp/vp/package.nix
@@ -1,31 +1,35 @@
 {
   lib,
-  SDL,
-  SDL_image,
+  pkg-config,
+  SDL2,
+  SDL2_image,
+  libx11,
   autoreconfHook,
   fetchFromGitHub,
   stdenv,
+  nix-update-script,
 }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   pname = "vp";
-  version = "1.8-unstable-2017-03-22";
+  version = "1.8-unstable-2025-09-15";
 
   src = fetchFromGitHub {
     owner = "erikg";
     repo = "vp";
-    rev = "52bae15955dbd7270cc906af59bb0fe821a01f27";
-    hash = "sha256-AWRJ//0z97EwvQ00qWDjVeZrPrKnRMOXn4RagdVrcFc=";
+    rev = "12ab0c49a7d837af8370b91d3f6e4fa11789e57a";
+    hash = "sha256-Ea1p9NLk7tW3elU0zmlPAkobyv+yLYeKv5hscJTFJhs=";
   };
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     autoreconfHook
-    SDL
+    pkg-config
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [
-    SDL
-    SDL_image
+    SDL2
+    SDL2_image
+    libx11
   ];
 
   outputs = [
@@ -35,10 +39,12 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
 
   strictDeps = true;
 
-  env.NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString [
-    "-I${lib.getDev SDL}/include/SDL"
-    "-I${lib.getDev SDL_image}/include/SDL"
-  ];
+  # gcc15 build failure
+  env.NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = toString [ "-std=gnu17" ];
+
+  passthru.updateScript = nix-update-script {
+    extraArgs = [ "--version=branch" ];
+  };
 
   meta = {
     homepage = "https://github.com/erikg/vp";
@@ -46,7 +52,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     license = lib.licenses.gpl3Plus;
     mainProgram = "vp";
     maintainers = [ ];
-    inherit (SDL.meta) platforms;
+    inherit (SDL2.meta) platforms;
     hydraPlatforms = lib.platforms.linux; # build hangs on both Darwin platforms, needs investigation
   };
 })
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/aliases.nix b/pkgs/top-level/aliases.nix
index eb2f7f1580fa..2c7f5a9c3c8a 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/aliases.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/aliases.nix
@@ -2008,6 +2008,7 @@ mapAliases {
   volk_2 = throw "'volk_2' has been removed after not being used by any package for a long time"; # Added 2025-10-25
   volnoti = throw "'volnoti' has been removed due to lack of maintenance upstream. Consider using 'rumno' instead."; # Added 2024-12-04
   voxelands = throw "'voxelands' has been removed due to lack of upstream maintenance"; # Added 2025-08-30
+  vpWithSixel = throw "'vpWithSixel' has been removed as vp switched to SDL2 which does not support sixel"; # Added 2026-02-06
   vtk_9 = warnAlias "'vtk_9' has been renamed to 'vtk_9_5'" vtk_9_5; # Added 2025-07-18
   vtk_9_egl = warnAlias "'vtk_9_5' now build with egl support by default, so `vtk_9_egl` is deprecated, consider using 'vtk_9_5' instead." vtk_9_5; # Added 2025-07-18
   vtk_9_withQt5 = throw "'vtk_9_withQt5' has been removed, Consider using 'vtkWithQt6' instead."; # Added 2025-07-18
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index a74ca9d7fd5c..6508f7e2f1ba 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -3564,13 +3564,6 @@ with pkgs;
 
   vpn-slice = python3Packages.callPackage ../tools/networking/vpn-slice { };
 
-  vpWithSixel = vp.override {
-    # Enable next line for console graphics. Note that it requires `sixel`
-    # enabled terminals such as mlterm or xterm -ti 340
-    SDL = SDL_sixel;
-    SDL_image = SDL_image.override { SDL = SDL_sixel; };
-  };
-
   openconnectPackages = callPackage ../tools/networking/openconnect { };
 
   inherit (openconnectPackages) openconnect openconnect_openssl;