diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/ydiff/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/ydiff/default.nix
index 89b063f84be7..be935b1995c6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/ydiff/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/ydiff/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-{ lib, stdenv, buildPythonPackage, fetchPypi }:
+{ stdenv, lib, buildPythonPackage, fetchPypi, docutils, pygments
+, gitMinimal, mercurial, subversion, patchutils, less
+}:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
   pname = "ydiff";
@@ -9,21 +11,38 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     sha256 = "f5430577ecd30974d766ee9b8333e06dc76a947b4aae36d39612a0787865a121";
   };
 
-  # test suite requires a multitude of other version control tooling
-  # currently only a single file, an import/usage should suffice
+  patchPhase = ''
+    substituteInPlace ydiff.py \
+      --replace "['git'" "['${gitMinimal}/bin/git'" \
+      --replace "['hg'" "['${mercurial}/bin/hg'" \
+      --replace "['svn'" "['${subversion}/bin/svn'" \
+      --replace "['filterdiff'" "['${patchutils}/bin/filterdiff'" \
+      --replace "['less'" "['${less}/bin/less'" # doesn't support PAGER from env
+    substituteInPlace tests/test_ydiff.py \
+      --replace /bin/rm rm \
+      --replace /bin/sh sh
+    patchShebangs setup.py
+    patchShebangs tests/*.sh
+  '';
+
+  checkInputs = [ docutils pygments ];
+
   checkPhase = ''
-    $out/bin/ydiff --help
+    runHook preCheck
+    make doc-check reg # We don't want the linter or coverage check.
+    runHook postCheck
   '';
 
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "View colored, incremental diff in workspace or from stdin with side by side and auto pager support (Was \"cdiff\")";
     longDescription = ''
-      Term based tool to view colored, incremental diff in a Git/Mercurial/Svn
-      workspace or from stdin, with side by side (similar to diff -y) and auto
-      pager support
+      Term based tool to view colored, incremental diff in a version
+      controlled workspace (supports Git, Mercurial, Perforce and Svn
+      so far) or from stdin, with side by side (similar to diff -y)
+      and auto pager support.
     '';
     homepage = "https://github.com/ymattw/ydiff";
     license = licenses.bsd3;
-    maintainers = teams.deshaw.members;
+    maintainers = (with maintainers; [ leenaars ]) ++ teams.deshaw.members;
   };
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/ydiff/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/ydiff/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 510808fc4127..000000000000
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/ydiff/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
-{ stdenv, lib, pythonPackages, python3Packages, less, patchutils, git
-, subversion, coreutils, which }:
-
-with pythonPackages;
-
-buildPythonApplication rec {
-  pname = "ydiff";
-  version = "1.2";
-
-  src = fetchPypi {
-    inherit pname version;
-    sha256 = "f5430577ecd30974d766ee9b8333e06dc76a947b4aae36d39612a0787865a121";
-  };
-
-  patchPhase = ''
-    substituteInPlace tests/test_ydiff.py \
-      --replace /bin/rm ${coreutils}/bin/rm \
-      --replace /bin/sh ${stdenv.shell}
-    substituteInPlace Makefile \
-      --replace "pep8 --ignore" "# pep8 --ignore" \
-      --replace "python3 \`which coverage\`" "${python3Packages.coverage}/bin/coverage3" \
-      --replace /bin/sh ${stdenv.shell} \
-      --replace tests/regression.sh "${stdenv.shell} tests/regression.sh"
-    patchShebangs tests/*.sh
-  '';
-
-  buildInputs = [ docutils pygments ];
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [ less patchutils ];
-  checkInputs = [ coverage coreutils git subversion which ];
-
-  checkTarget = if isPy3k then "test3" else "test";
-
-  meta = {
-    homepage = "https://github.com/ymattw/ydiff";
-    description = "View colored, incremental diff in workspace or from stdin";
-    longDescription = ''
-      Term based tool to view colored, incremental diff in a version
-      controlled workspace (supports Git, Mercurial, Perforce and Svn
-      so far) or from stdin, with side by side (similar to diff -y)
-      and auto pager support.
-    '';
-    license = lib.licenses.bsd3;
-    maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ leenaars ];
-  };
-}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 0d19db7332c4..9edaea14f432 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -25743,7 +25743,7 @@ in
 
   yate = callPackage ../applications/misc/yate { };
 
-  ydiff = callPackage ../development/tools/ydiff { };
+  inherit (gitAndTools) ydiff;
 
   yed = callPackage ../applications/graphics/yed {};