diff --git a/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/base.nix b/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/base.nix
index d52d4e907730e..572ec28c07500 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/base.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/base.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ fetchurl }:
+{ fetchurl, libiconv }:
 
 finalAttrs: {
   version = "0.996";
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ finalAttrs: {
     hash = "sha256-4HMyV4MTW3LmZhRceBu0j62lg9UiT7JJD7bBQDumnFk=";
   };
 
+  buildInputs = [ libiconv ];
+
   configureFlags = [
     "--with-charset=utf8"
   ];
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/default.nix
index 58396d2aa4621..3cca6776d3a91 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, fetchurl, mecab-ipadic }:
+{ lib, stdenv, fetchurl, mecab-ipadic, libiconv }:
 
 let
-  mecab-base = import ./base.nix { inherit fetchurl; };
+  mecab-base = import ./base.nix { inherit fetchurl libiconv; };
 in
 stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: ((mecab-base finalAttrs) // {
   pname = "mecab";
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/nodic.nix b/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/nodic.nix
index 5e33b09db1453..a40e2a19698d8 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/nodic.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/text/mecab/nodic.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-{ stdenv, fetchurl }:
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, libiconv }:
 
 let
-  mecab-base = import ./base.nix { inherit fetchurl; };
+  mecab-base = import ./base.nix { inherit fetchurl libiconv; };
 in
 stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: ((mecab-base finalAttrs) // {
   pname = "mecab-nodic";