diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/openal-soft/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/openal-soft/default.nix
index 89ac85b752b7..76f2861428d6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/openal-soft/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/openal-soft/default.nix
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "0b0g0q1c36nfb289xcaaj3cmyfpiswvvgky3qyalsf9n4dj7vnzi";
   };
 
+  # this will make it find its own data files (e.g. HRTF profiles)
+  # without any other configuration
+  patches = [ ./search-out.patch ];
+  postPatch = ''
+    substituteInPlace Alc/helpers.c \
+      --replace "@OUT@" $out
+  '';
+
   nativeBuildInputs = [ cmake ];
 
   buildInputs = []
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/openal-soft/search-out.patch b/pkgs/development/libraries/openal-soft/search-out.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0f9c2abad3c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/openal-soft/search-out.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+diff -Nuar a/Alc/helpers.c b/Alc/helpers.c
+--- a/Alc/helpers.c	1970-01-01 00:00:01.000000000 +0000
++++ b/Alc/helpers.c	1970-01-01 00:00:02.000000000 +0000
+@@ -951,6 +951,8 @@
+             }
+         }
+ 
++        DirectorySearch("@OUT@/share", ext, &results);
++
+         alstr_reset(&path);
+     }
+