diff --git a/pkgs/tools/networking/autossh/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/networking/autossh/default.nix
index a123e551a90a6..3ff06960156a1 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/networking/autossh/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/networking/autossh/default.nix
@@ -2,14 +2,19 @@
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   name = "autossh-1.4g";
-  
+
   src = fetchurl {
     url = "http://www.harding.motd.ca/autossh/${name}.tgz";
     sha256 = "0xqjw8df68f4kzkns5gcah61s5wk0m44qdk2z1d6388w6viwxhsz";
   };
-  
-  buildInputs = [ openssh ];
-  
+
+  preConfigure = ''
+    export ac_cv_func_malloc_0_nonnull=yes
+    export ac_cv_func_realloc_0_nonnull=yes
+  '';
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ openssh ];
+
   installPhase =
     ''
       install -D -m755 autossh      $out/bin/autossh                          || return 1
@@ -19,7 +24,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
       install -D -m644 rscreen      $out/share/autossh/examples/rscreen       || return 1
       install -D -m644 autossh.1    $out/man/man1/autossh.1                   || return 1
     '';
-    
+
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
     homepage = http://www.harding.motd.ca/autossh/;
     description = "Automatically restart SSH sessions and tunnels";